Bored Genius
by jinx777
Summary: Look for rewrite on my Profile.
1. Bored

**Ok, so I got bored and decided to try writing this. Having said that, I started writing it over a year ago and it was just another fic that ended up put to one side and forgotten.**

 **Enjoy:)**

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Summary: He was a genius, the most gifted mind since Nicholas Flammel. Unfortunately Harry Potter is also not exactly 'all there'. He is rude, unmotivated and doesn't give a crap who knows it. Can Hogwarts change this, or will he get bored of magic too. After all, 'if everything comes easy, everything is boring'.

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 **Disclaimer: I own nothing :(**

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Chapter 1- Bored

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Harry frowned as he leaned his book towards the small light bulb, shifting uncomfortable in the small space the cupboard allowed him as he tried to read. The book was on 'Advanced Genetics', a subject he had taken a little interest in over the past few days along with Physics, Chemistry and Behavioural Psychology. Now most people would think so many advanced and complicated subject would be hard for anyone to understand even on their own, and Harry supposed for normal people it was. But Harry wasn't normal, a fact his… _relatives_ , often enjoyed pointing out to him.

At ten, almost eleven, years old Harry not only understood these subjects, along with any others he decided to look into, but excelled at them. His primary school teachers had called him a genius, though at the time he had been four before he started skipping years.

By this point in time Harry had finished his schooling and was looking into university courses, not that his aunt and uncle would ever pay for him to go. But then again that was what scholarships were for, and he doubted his relatives would try and stop him leaving there home.

Ever since he was little Harry had lived in the cupboard under the stairs at his relative's house, and he had always been…well bored. Everything was boring to him, easy to understand. In fact the only thing he hadn't understood was the odd things that sometimes happened around him as he was growing up.

His teacher's hair changing to bright neon pink in the middle of a lesson after shouting at him for falling asleep while amusing, was not normal. There were other things too, like his uncle breaking his hand once on Harry's face when he tried to 'Beat the Freak out of him'. Or the time Ripper his aunt Marg's bulldog lost the ability to bark after chasing Harry up a tree. In fact just the other day Harry learned he could speak to snakes, right before the glass from the front of a cage at the zoo disappeared and said snake escaped. The fact that it had scared his whale of a cousin on the way had been amusing while it lasted, though the novelty had worn off quickly.

But that was why he found them so interesting, the fact he didn't understand them. All he had been able to understand was that _he_ was the common denominator, he was the thing that connected all of the strange events together. Harry also didn't miss his aunt and uncles reactions when these things happened, though his uncle turning purple in rage was hard to miss anyway. They clearly knew something, and hated him for it.

Logically this made him assume that his parents had something to do with it or that they were the same as him, seeing as his aunt and uncle definitely weren't. He could ask but knew there would be no point, they wouldn't tell him anything. The only reason his Uncle had stopped beating him was because of the time he broke his hand, after that they seemed to fear it would happen again so stuck with insults and locking him in the cupboard for days without food.

Though honestly Harry didn't mind the cupboard all that much.

Sure it was small and smelled like mold, but it was quiet and at least he had the light so he could read.

He sometimes contemplated telling someone about the abuse, but in the end just never saw the point. If people didn't notice the clear signs then why should he try and point it out to them, there were people paid to notice and fix things like that and he wasn't one of them. Though Harry also wondered if they were paid too much because they clearly didn't know how to do their jobs.

It was actually just over a week before Harry turned eleven, not that he celebrated his birthday or understood why other people did. It just seemed like a waste of time and money to him, though Harry would admit to himself he wasn't exactly 'sociable'. For all his genius, Harry could never understand people in general.

His thoughts were cut off by the sound of the lock on the outside of the cupboard door being opened, the frowning face of his aunt standing on the other side glaring at him.

"Get up, if you want breakfasts there is some cold toast in the kitchen for you. You can grab the post while you're at it and bring it through."

Making no move to get up of even look away from his book, Harry waved one hand at her without care.

"Get it yourself, the door is five steps from where you're stood anyway."

"GET UP BOY! You should be grateful you're still allowed in this house you ungrateful little freak!"

Frowning as he used his little finger to try and clear the ringing out of his ear from the shouting, Harry finally looked up from his book and stared at his aunt with half lidded, dull eyes filled with boredom.

"Fuck off you stupid giraffe, I'm reading."

That fact that she showed very little reaction to his words showed how used to them she was, when he had first started cussing her out she had looked close to fainting.

Harry tried to ignore his aunt after that and return to his book, but the feel of her eyes glaring at him was starting to make his skin crawl. When this carried on for five more minutes he had had enough and slammed his book closed, before crawling out of the cupboard and standing up to stretch.

His aunt didn't wait for him before moving back to the table, throwing one last reminder to get the post before he dared set foot in her kitchen. Letting out a sigh after he was done Harry slowly moved to grab the mail, it wasn't like he actually care one way or another, but he just didn't want his aunt to think she could boss him around without any argument.

He decided to take a look through the letters while he made his way to the kitchen, expecting the first of his University acceptances to be arriving soon. While not fond of self-advertising, a ten year old boy genius would always catch the eyes of universities and he had been sent applications for several without even asking. At this point it was a formality, Harry could choose any he wanted and they would probably lay a red carpet for his arrival.

There was a postcard from his aunt Marge for his uncle, a few bills, and three letter with his name on them.

The first had the Cambridge University logo in the corner, the second was Oxford but the third he had no clue about. The envelope look more than a little old fashioned, made from parchment instead of instead of paper. It was actually sealed with red wax, some kind of emblem pressed into it. But the thing that really caught his attention was the hand written address on the front.

 _Mr H. J. Potter,_

 _The Cupboard under the Stairs,_

 _4 Private Drive_

Was this supposed to be a joke or something?

Frowning as he walked into the kitchen, Harry tossed the other envelopes at his aunt without looking before taking a seat. Ignoring his aunt and uncle as they started ranting about how ungrateful he was, the young dark haired boy put the university letters to one side was he opened the strange letter.

 _Dear Mr Potter,_

 _We are delighted to inform you that you have been accepted at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry…_

He stopped reading after the first line, holding the obviously joke letter from the Dursleys and frowning at them.

"Ha-ha, very funny. I'm leaving in a few weeks anyway, you don't need to send fake acceptance letters to a made up school."

Without bothering to wait for their reactions, Harry screwed up the letter and tossed it over his shoulder and into the kitchen bin before turning to his real letters.

XXX

Harry would give his relatives credit, if nothing else they were persistent.

Over the next week Harry received another twenty letters, all saying the same thing and all binned before he bothered to finished them. His aunt and uncle even played the part of acting like they didn't send the letter, going so far as to act like they were trying to stop them arriving.

After his uncle nailed the letter box shut, the letters were left on the porch. When that didn't seem to work, the letters were shoved through the windows left open in the night to let the cool air into the house. Then the day before hundreds of the letters came shooting out of the chimney like a garden hose. Harry ignored them all and didn't stop his uncle from burning them all before bricking up the fireplace.

He didn't know why they were still trying to pull the joke or whatever the letters were about, normally when he called them out they would just drop things like this and pretend not to have done anything to begin with.

That night he decided to read in his cupboard, not even keeping track of the time as it drew closer to midnight, his birthday. The book was an English to German dictionary, Harry decided to learn the language out of boredom to go with the other three he knew. He had learned French when he was six, Spanish when he was eight and Japanese when he was nine.

He also had plans to learn Chinese eventually, maybe Finish if he was ever bored enough. Harry didn't like having nothing to do, his mind needed something to work on. It was like a constant inch that could only be scratched by leaning something new.

The sound of someone banging on the front door broke him from his reading, unknown to him the time had just reached midnight exactly.

"WHO THE BLOODY HELL IS THAT AT THIS HOUR!"

The banging continued constantly for about ten seconds before the enraged yell of his uncle reached him, shortly followed by even louder stomping over his head as the man ran down the stairs. Harry could almost see his purple face, that one vein on his forehead bulging dangerously.

He decide to try and ignore it in favour of his book, though it wasn't easy.

Harry ignored the shouting at the front door as whoever was arguing with his uncle, a woman and a man from the sound of the voices, reached his ears through the door. But after several minutes passed and they were still being loud and distracting Harry had enough, it sounded like his aunt had joined in now too, and banged on the locked cupboard door.

"Will you people shut the hell up? I'm trying to read in here!"

For a moment it seemed to actually work as all sound outside stopped instantly, only for it to start back up again a moment later followed by the sound of feet stomping towards his cupboard. They stopped outside the door and Harry could suddenly hear them clearly now.

"You locked him in a cupboard!"

That was the unknown woman's voice, and now she was closer Harry was able to hear the slight Scottish accent in her words.

"It's none of your ruddy business! Now get out of my house this instant!"

Uncle Vernon, and from the sounds of it he was at danger level purple.

"You stupid Muggle, how dare you lock him in there!"

That was the other voice he didn't know, it was very deep and ruff, the words a little hard to follow in places. There was a loud bang and Harry felt the vibrations of something large hitting a wall, followed by his aunt screaming.

He then heard the lock click, then the door swung open to show two very odd people.

The first was an older woman looking to be in her mid-fifties, dressed in what looked like dark green robes and a pointed hat on her heat. Behind her was the largest man Harry had ever seen in his life, dressed in poor stitched together animal furs with a beard and long black hair covering most of his face.

For a moment the three merely looked at each other, the giant with a confused face, the woman with a mixture of anger and sadness and finally Harry glancing over his book with a bored expression as he took the two of them in.

When several second passed without either of them saying anything, Harry lowered his book slightly so they could see his frown before speaking.

"What the hell do you want, I'm busy in case you didn't notice…?"

His words seemed to brake the woman out of her thoughts, though the giant was still looking confused.

"Mr Potter, I am Professor McGonagall and this is Rubeus Hagrid. We are here because you did not respond to our letter."

"Which letter? Oxford? Cambridge? You claim to be a Professor so I assume you are a teacher of some sort, though the fact you would come here in the middle of the night just because I didn't reply to you is a little odd."

Frowning at his words, the now named McGonagall pulled out a familiar letter and held it out to him.

Harry didn't make any move to take it, merely raising an eyebrow at the woman and putting his book down for a moment.

"So you're the ones sending me the joke letter? And here I thought it was my aunt and uncle. Should have known they weren't smart enough to pull it off when the letters came shooting out the fireplace."

"Mr Potter I assure you this is no joke."

Still looking board Harry shrugged his shoulder and took the letter offered to him, before pointing at the first line.

"'Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry'? Am I supposed to believe in magic because you send me some letters and turn up in a pointy hat?"

His words seemed to only confuse the woman, her lips thinning into a frown and her eyes narrowing as she seemed to be thinking something over. When she finished, McGonagall let out a deep sigh before motioning him to follow her into the living room.

"It would seem Mr Potter that we are in need of a little talk…"

XXX

An hour later Harry found himself walking out of Private Drive following McGonagall and Hagrid, a bag with the books he was till reading slung over his shoulder.

The conversation had been…enlightening, to say the least.

McGonagall had started it off my pulling out a wand of all things and turning the setae into a horse, before turning it back with a flick. Needless to say, she had gotten Harry's attention. After that she went on to explain about the Wizarding world, Hogwarts and even some things about his parents. Turns out they both went to Hogwarts to learn magic too.

After that Harry agreed to go to Hogwarts, after all he could go to university later in life, the only reason he was going to go before was boredom. Magic sounded interesting if nothing else, maybe it would be harder for him to learn then other things. He was told to pack anything he wanted to take with him, before they passed the still unconscious form of his uncle slumped against the hallway wall on the way out as his aunt coward next to him.

Turns out the loud noise he had heard before was the sound of his uncle bouncing off the now dented wall when Hagrid had pushed him out of the way for trying to stop them going to his cupboard.

Once outside he was offered the McGonagall's hand as Hagrid walk over to a large Motorbike saying he would seem them both at Hogwarts, and the moment he took it Harry felt like he was being squeezed through a straw. It was a very uncomfortable sensation, and as it was happening the world seemed to spin around him in random and undistinguishable blurs. But the moment it stop and the dizziness wore off Harry found himself in a completely different place then where they had been a moment ago.

He was now stood outside a rundown looking pub, it a sign claiming it to be the 'Leaky Cauldron'.

So that was what teleportation was like…interesting. He would have to remember the feeling of it, maybe try and recreate it himself at a later date.

Harry silently followed his guide into the pub, his keen eyes taking in every detail as she led him to the bar and spoke with a hunchbacked man with only three teeth in his smiling mouth. There were several people drinking even at the early hour, all dressed in robes of various colours. The glasses behind the bar were floating around before being cleaned by a floating rag and moving to the shelves on the back wall.

' _Very efficient_ '

Nodding to himself, Harry tuned back into what McGonagall was saying again just in time hear her booking a room for him to stay in until he was meant to get the train to Hogwarts. Guess he wasn't going to be seeing the Dursleys for a while then…the thought brought a small smile to his face.

XXX

The next morning Harry was woken up by the sound of someone knocking on his door, followed by the slightly muffled voice of Professor McGonagall. Quickly shaking off his sleepiness Harry stretched for a moment before calling out and saying he would be out after getting dressed.

After thinking about what his temporary guide had told him last night before he went to sleep, Harry decided that it would be easier to dress in a way that made it harder to recognise him. This mostly just meant putting an old red cap on to cover his scar, and keeping his head down so people wouldn't see his face.

Hearing that he was credited for the killing of a 'Dark' wizard as a baby honestly made Harry wonder out the Wizarding world's intelligence as a whole. Who in their right mind would think that a baby could kill someone that was reported to have killed hundreds of people, both women and children included?

Even with the little amount of information McGonagall had given him on the subject Harry could tell it was more likely something his parents had done that had killed the man, so why was it he was credited for it? Either this 'Wizarding World' was a bunch of idiots or they were a bunch of sheep following the words of a Shepard, not that there was really much difference between the two options as far as he was concerned

Though the information that his scar was because he was hit with a curse that should have killed him like every other person it had hit was interesting and he would have to look into it later.

After a quick breakfast provided by Tom the barman he had met last night, McGonagall led him to the back of the pub. They came out into a small alley that smelled like puke, but the older woman simple ignored it and tapped her wand on the back wall. The air was filled with the sound of grinding bricks, and Harry watched with his normal bored expression slightly lessened as the bricks started to fold back on themselves until it became a small archway.

One the other side of the archway was a busy street with people walking around between the different shops without a care in the world, all dressed in robes with pointy hats on their heads.

As he was lead through the archway and listened to McGonagall telling him the place was called Diagon Alley, Harry absently wondered why he didn't hear any of the noises from the street before the wall had opened up.

He already knew their first stop was going to be the large bank at the end of the street, another fact the Professor had gone over with him before he went to bed, but as they walked towards it Harry's eyes moved from one shop to another and took everything he could in. He had already spotted a bookshop and planned to spend quite a lot of time looking through their selection.

Just because they were given a list of books they would need for school didn't mean he couldn't get a few extra to read in his spare time.

The bank itself when they reached it was impressive, a large white marble monolith with gold to show both power and wealth. The white marble steps leading up towards a pair of large intimidating doors with armed guards stood either side, the axe staffs in their hands standing almost two feet taller than the guards themselves. Then there was the actual guards, both short creatures with pale skin and long hooked noises. Long fingers wrapped around the shafts of their weapons ending in inch long claws, and their bodies covered in polished metal armour.

Harry stood over a head taller than both, yet knew they could kill him in a second without trying.

McGonagall had also told him about these creatures, or rather warned him about them. Goblins, a warrior like race with a fondness for riches of any sort and very short tempers. While there had been animosity between them and the wizards in the past, though even now it was not fully gone, they were now the Bankers of the Wizard world. They guarded the wealth of wizards and witches, and were given a _lot_ of leeway to do so.

Apparently the bank itself worked in a way similar to an Embassy in the Muggle world in that it was considered foreign soil and therefore of out the controlling governments jurisdiction, allowing the goblins to use any security they wished even if the country the bank was based in declared the method illegal. Of course there were a few exceptions that the Goblins agreed to, but for the most part they were left to their own devises.

Honestly from what little he had been told of the goblins by Professor McGonagall, Harry like them already. She told him they didn't like to mince words so the best method was to just talk straight with them, they were practical, but enjoyed making people they didn't like squirm and were all too happy to remind people that were out of line where they stood.

The bank wasn't too busy when they arrived because it was still early, and they were able to walk straight up to a teller without waiting in line. The Goblin behind the counter was examining a pile of rubies one at a time with a jewellers magnifying glass held to his eye, at least Harry assumed it was a male, he didn't know enough able to species to be 100% sure. He also seemed to be ignoring them even after McGonagall cleared her throat in an attempt to get its attention.

After five minutes of this, Harry got bored.

"Hey guy behind the counter ignoring us, do your bloody job already. I have better things to do then stand here, watching you figure out that only half of the rubies in that pile are real.

His words seemed to finally get the attention of the Goblin, along with several others that had been passing them. He looked from the pile of stones on his desk to Harry, a small frown on its lips with several sharp teeth pocking out slightly.

"You have a sharp eye young wizard, how could you tell that some of them are fake?"

His voice was surprisingly deep for such creature, and as he spoke the goblin leaned forward slightly to get a better look at him.

With his face still set in a bored expression, Harry reached over and grabbed two of the Rubies from the pile, one fake and the other real before holding them up to the slight. He also ignored the shocked faces of the people around him at the fake he had just taken the stones from right under the Goblins nose.

He head the stones in such a way that the light shown thrown them and hit the desk in two separate spots, one being a slightly paler red then the other.

"The way the light shines through them, the real Ruby is the darker blood like red. The fake is paler because the light travels through it easier."

Putting the two stones back on the counter, Harry then pulled the key McGonagall had given him last night out of his pocket and placed it on the desk between them.

"Now can I go to my bloody vault and take some money out, I have a lot to do and standing here waiting for you to stop ignoring me is a waste of time."

For about a minute the goblin just stared at Harry, as if trying to see something, before finally a smirk crossed his lips.

"GripHook!"

Another goblin came running over, his little tailed suit wrinkling slightly in his rush before he stopped next to Harry's leg.

"Yes chief Ragroc?"

"Take this young wizard to his vault."

"Yes sir!"

XXX

Fifteen minutes later after two very high speed cart rides, Harry and McGonagall left Gringotts Bank. Harry had paid for a special pouch that was bigger on the inside and could only be opened by him that he tied to his belt, absently wondering who it didn't feel any heavier than it would if empty. The pouch itself was black leather, with a golden inlay of a G inside a circle to identify it was a Gringotts pouch.

As they got to the bottom of the steps McGonagall let out a tired sigh, before turning to him with a frown on his face.

"What did I tell you about being polite Mr Potter, you almost gave me a heart attack, speaking to a Goblin in such a manner."

Harry merely shrugged without looking at her, finding more interest in the many shops lining the street.

"He was wasting both our time by ignoring us, I merely called him out. Besides, it worked didn't it?"

"It was still very reckless, I expect better from you."

"Based on the fact I have only known you since last night, you have no reason or right to expect anything from me."

That seemed to shut her up, for the moment at least. Harry honestly just wanted to get on with his shopping, because as soon as McGonagall left he would be able to get some of his own done.

The next hour was spent moving from one shop to another, collecting his school supplies one at a time. The first stop had been to get a trunk, though Harry intended to return after McGonagall left to have a look at some of the more heavily charmed ones. Having a whole room fit inside a box would be very useful, he was sure.

Then they bought his Potions supplies from a rather…unpleasant smelling shop.

There had been a slight issue getting his robes, mostly because Harry couldn't understand the appeal wearing them and had tried to talk his way out of getting any. But in the end it was the school uniform and he wasn't given a choice, just another shop for him to come back to later in the hopes of finding something more to his taste.

By the end of the hour they had only two more stops to make.

The first was for Harry to see if any of the animals in a pet store caught his eyes, and the other was to get his wand. Harry decided to look at the animals first.

The shop selling the different animals smelt almost as bad as the apothecary, and was a lot darker inside to accommodate its nocturnal occupants. McGonagall had decided to stay outside while he looked around with his shopping, muttering something under his breath that Harry didn't catch.

For such a small shop, a lot had been packed inside. Handing from the roof were what looked like hundreds of bird cages of different sizes, with just about every species of Owl inside them. There were tanks running along the ground holding large toads, some Harry recognised as defiantly not being native to England. Then there were other cages stacked on top of each other with cats inside, all different sizes and colures.

There were other animals too, a take with several snakes, a hawk mixed in with the owls handing from the roof, and others that Harry could not identify that he could only assume were magical in nature.

He walked slowly through the shop, being careful not to hit his head on any of the hanging cages. At one point a snow white owl caught his eyes, but Harry shuck his head after a moment of thought and carried on.

" _Caw!_ "

It was then his attention was brought to a loud sound at the very back of the store, where a single cage was sitting on a table. Inside the cage was a large Raven, though it was bigger than the average for its species. It's feathers were a pure inky with a touch of dark purple at the ends, and its beady black eyes seemed to shin with an intelligence that was missing in the owls he had seen in the store with the exception of the white one before.

Moving closer to get a better look Harry tilted his head to the left slightly, the Raven following the movement as he leaned closer until his nose was only an inch from the cage.

"I wouldn't get too close to that one if I was you lad, she's got a wicked temper and a sharp beck to match. Had a piece out of everyone that's got too close that one…"

Frowning slightly, Harry backed away and turned to see an elderly woman with silver hair and pale blue eyes standing behind him. She wore simple close fitting clothes with a leather apron over them, along with thick gloves. He could also see several cuts on her face and exposed parts of her arm, leading him to believe her to be the owner of the shop.

"Can I see her outside of the cage?"

The woman's eyes narrowed slightly at him and seem to size him up with a glace, something that had been happening a lot to him today. After staying silent for a moment she shrugged and pulled a wand out from behind her apron, waving it at the cage and opening the lock without taking a step closer.

"It's on your head is she bites you lad, honestly if I can't sell her soon I'll have to…"

Whatever the woman was going to say trailed off as Harry opened the cage door and the raven jumped out and landed on his wrist, her eyes widening slightly when it didn't attack him. Harry slowly brought the bird up so she was in front of his face, carefully running a finger down the back of her neck.

"Well I'll be…"

" _Caw!_ "

Moving a little closer, the shop owner flinched back when the raven turned to her and tried to bite her hand when it moved to close.

"Bloody bird, don't know what you're doing lad, but if you want her she's yours for five Galleon with the cage thrown in."

Moving his hand so the raven could hop to his shoulder, Harry nodded to the woman but made no move for the cage.

"Three Galleon, but without the cage. You already said you haven't been able to sell her, and I don't need a cage. Though if you sell it I will take some feed for her."

The owner frowned, but after a moment nodded her agreement and moved to grab a bag he assumed was the food.

"Fine, at this point I'll be glad to see the back of the little terror."

After paying for both the raven and bag of food, Harry left the store with the bird still on his shoulder. He ignored the look McGonagall sent to both him and his new friend as they came into view.

"A very odd choice Mr Potter, most prefer owls. Do you have a name for it?"

"She a female Professor, and I was thinking of naming her Poe after one of my favourite poets."

The name got a quiet caw and an affectionate rub against his head from the bird, which Harry took to mean she liked the name. McGonagall didn't comment, though Harry saw the calculating look in her eyes when she saw them interacting.

They quickly made their way to get the last item on his list needed before McGonagall left, his wand from Ollivander's.

Like most of the other shops in Diagon Alley Ollivander's looked small on the outside, though Harry was quickly picking up on the fact that most were bigger on the inside then should be possible. The windows were dirty and covered in a thin layer of dust, and the sign above the door was old and faded.

McGonagall stayed outside again as he went in.

As he stepped inside Harry was hit by the small of different kinds of wood and oil, and the few rays of light that made it through the windows showed the air was thick with dust. The only other light in the room came from a small oil lamp resting on the counter, which was actually the only thing in the shop other than the shelves behind it stacked with thousands of small boxes, some cardboard and other wooden.

" _Caw!_ "

He didn't know why or how, but for some reason the moment Poe let out a squawk Harry understood the warning she was giving him and turned to see that there was a man stood behind him next to the door.

He was a very old man though Harry couldn't begin to guess at his exact age, with shoulder length wiry grey hair and a wrinkled face. His hands were bony and covered in small scares long healed, and his eyes were an almost milky blue that made Harry wonder if the man was blind.

However it was proven he wasn't when his eyes moved from Poe still perched in his shoulder to Harry's face, before flicking up to his covered scar.

"A smart bird you have there Mr Potter, she will be a good familiar to you in the years to come I am sure."

Decided not to put the familiar comment to the back of his mind for the moment for later, Harry narrowed his eyes at the man who he assumed was the 'famous wand maker' Ollivander as McGonagall had referred to him.

"You know who I am then?"

The man merely chuckled as he walked passed him and move around to the other side of the counter.

"I remember every wand I have ever sold Mr Potter, including your own parents. I have been expecting you for many years now…"

Interesting, so the old man claimed to remember _every_ wand he had ever sold. If true it was an impressive feat.

"I see…I guess there is little point in pleasantries then as I am sure you understand why I am here. Though I do not know the process involved in choosing a wand."

"Ah, well then first let me explain something to you Mr Potter, you do not choose your wand, it chooses you."

The statement got a raised eyebrow from Harry as he walked closer to the old man, leaning on the surprisingly dust free counter.

"I see, would you mind explaining that to me a little more."

The man gave him a calculating look for a moment, before a small smile crossed his old lips.

"Normally when once so young as you asks me that question I would merely say that the reason is unknown, but I have a feeling you will be able to understand. Every wand has its own personal magical signature, almost like a personality if you will. For a wizard to be able to use a wand, their own magic must be a close enough match with that of the wand or the magic will not be as effective."

Throughout the explanation Harry had been nodding his head, his mind filing it away for closer consideration later.

"I see…so is it a simple matter of elimination until you find a match, or is there an actual spell to find a matching magic signature between a wizard and wand.

"Process of elimination I am afraid, there has yet to be a spell capable of matching a wizard and their wand invented."

With those words Ollivander turned his back to Harry and moved to grab several boxes from the shelves behind him, using his wand to get the ones too high for him to reach. Over an hour later they were still trying to find a wand that would accept him without success.

The first wand he had been handed was 10' and made from Rosewood with a dragon heartstring, but the moment it touched his skin the wand had grown too hot for him to hold and harry was forced to drop it. This was followed by a 12' Dogwood with a Unicorn tail hair, which had actually jumped out of his hand on its own accord.

Every wand they tried refused him, and with every wand that failed Ollivander seemed to be getting more and more excited. More and more boxes were stacked on each other as time went on, and Harry was starting to get bored again. While the process had caught his attention in the beginning it was getting annoying.

"Well Mr Potter I must admit it was been many years since I have had so much trouble matching a wand to its wizard…I wonder though…"

" _Caw!_ "

The old man was about to turn around to find another wand for Harry to try when he paused at the sight of Poe flying from Harry's shoulder and into the back of the store, disappearing between the shelves. The old wand maker sent a look to Harry who merely shrugged, before slowly moving to follow the raven.

The man returned a few moments later with a new box in his hands, Poe perched on top of it seeming without a care in the world. It was one of the wooden wand boxes, covered in a dark brown varnish with black veins covering it and brass hinges.

Harry took note of the mixture of surprise and confusion on Ollivander's face as he set the box gently on the counter, Poe flying back to Harry's shoulder when it was place in front of him.

"I must admit it has been many a year since I have even thought of this wand, let alone seen it. It was one of the first I had ever made, back when I was more…adventurous in my wand craft and wanted to experiment with more outlandish combinations. But it seems that your familiar has gone to the trouble of leading me to it, so I feel it is worth a try…"

There was that word again, Harry would need to look for a book on the subject when he went shopping on his own the next day. Before he could spend any more time thinking on the matter though, Ollivander flipped the box open. The wand sat on a cushion of dark purple, resting comfortable in what looked to Harry like silk, and he listened absently as the man told him the details of the wand.

"13' made from Elder wood taken from a tree on its 13th year of life, I remember cutting the branch myself when I was a young man. Its core is also one of a kind to my knowledge, I know I have never used it myself since. Thestral tail hairs, again 13 of them, taken from the first I had ever seen after the death of a dear friend of mine. Honestly I know not why I felt compelled to create this wand, and thought I would never see the day it find an owner."

Still not taking the wand, Harry's eyes moved to the old wand maker's face with a curious expression.

"Why is that?"

"The number 13 Mr Potter is considered one of the 'magical number' but like with Muggle's is considered terrible luck. Elder wood is also considered bad luck as it is connected to Death through an old Wizard legend, so is not used in many wands. Finally is the core itself, Thestrals are a horse-like creature that can only be seen by a person that has seen death with their own eyes. While naturally a harmless race if not provoked it is for that reason they are also avoided…"

Harry was starting to understand why the old wand maker seemed a little uncomfortable with the wand, it sounded like a bad luck magnet.

Without hesitation Harry reached forward and took the wand, holding it up in front of him.

The moment the wand was in his hand Harry felt a warm sensation moving up his arm, before quickly spreading throughout his body. The wood began to vibrate gently in his hand and the tip lit up with a pale blue light that while small, was able to brighten up the entire room with ease before fading back to normal.

When Harry looked back at Ollivander, the man seemed to have a mixture of wonder and fascination on his face.

"My my Mr Potter, in all my years…I had lost hope of this wand every finding its owner. I think I will now be expecting to hear great things from you my boy…great things…"

XXX

 **Hope you like the chapter, let me know what you think :)**


	2. Something Different

**Just a heads up, I am not bashing anyone in this fic. It might seem like it but I am just trying to write the characters how I think they would react to each other.**

 **Also, I will be changing a few of the houses people are shorted into, though I am not sure how many or who yet. Harry will of course not be in Gryffindor, but I don't want to go into any details.**

 **Also I am trying to take my time with this fic, which means I will be aiming to update one a week even if I finish a chapter early. This is my way of attempting to take some of the pressure off myself when I try and update as soon as I finish a chapter. So after this chapter the next will not be posted before next Wednesday, sorry if this bothers anyone but I am trying something different in the hope it will help me keep writing.**

 **Enjoy:)**

XXX

 **Disclaimer: I own nothing :(**

XXX

Chapter 2- Something Different

XXX

The next day after having breakfast in the Leaky Cauldron Harry waited at the bricked up entrance to Diagon Alley for a witch or Wizard to come by with Poe perched on his shoulder, having been told by McGonagall that he wasn't allowed to use his wand outside of school and unsure if opening the archway would count. It took an hour and a half, but eventually he was able to follow what looked to me a small family coming to do their kids school shopping.

He slipped in behind them without a word, and quickly made his way straight to the shop that sold trunks. Harry quickly made his way to the back where they kept the more heavily warded trunks, and spent the next five minutes looking around before being approached by the man he had seen behind the counter at the front when he came in.

Unlike most of the people he had seen working in the shops along Diagon Alley, this man looked to be in his late twenty's. He had short brown hair with a small pointed hat sat on it, with an average build and grey eyes. Harry also didn't miss it when said grey eyes moved to his Gringotts engraved pouch, or his suddenly wider smile. Though the sight of the Raven on his shoulder seemed to give the man pause for a moment before he brushed it off.

"Something I can help you with?"

Shrugging his shoulder, Harry motioned towards the selection of trunks with his usual bored expression and half lidded eyes.

"I'm looking to buy a new trunk, but I'm not too knowledgeable on the different charms used."

"Of course, I assume from the trunks you are browsing that you are looking for a Class 3 or above?"

"I am not aware of the different classes, so I can't answer that."

Nodding his head, the shop worker gestured around the shop and started to explain.

"Each class up has the same charms as the Class before it, but with more added on and locks of course. Class 1 is your average truck with a Feather Light Charm, to make it easier to carry. Class 2 has an added Minor expansion Charm so it is bigger on the inside. Class 3 have three separate compartments charmed into one space, each accessible by unlocking one at a time with a key. Class 4 comes with an actual room sized compartment along with the other three, giving you four spaces. Finally Class five has seven compartments, all Charmed to be a full sized room with the option of a stasis room to keep Potion ingredients fresh indefinitely. It also has very strong security charms, with the options of a key, Password or mix of both to unlock."

Frowning slightly, Harry turned back to a large trunk mad from a very dark wood with brass fittings and seven keyholes. It was almost twice his size with heavy looking brass handles on either side. He also now noticed the small tag saying it was a Class five, before nodding.

"How much for this Class 5?"

"That trunk is 575 Galleons, but for an extra 190 we will customise the rooms to your specifications with furniture included. Of course the stasis room is already fitted and is included in the 575 galleons."

Without looking away from the trunk Harry reached into his pouch and started counting out the money, listing off what he wanted as the shop keepers eyes widened more and more as he did.

"A Bedroom, a Library, a Study, a Storage room to go with the Stasis room, a room left empty for Training Magic and finally a Potions lab. I want to be able to set passwords for each compartment, separately. How long will it take to complete?"

Harry watched the man do some calculations in his head for a few minutes, wondering if he looked the same when he did it before the man nodded to himself and started writing what he wanted down.

"It should be done by tomorrow if you are able to pick it up, though you will need to stock the Library, Storage and Stasis rooms yourself. As for the passwords all you will need to do to set them is to hold your wand to the locks, say your name, wait five seconds then speak your password."

"Will I need to wait until I am at school to do this?"

"No the charms are will be on the trunk, so you are just using your wand to sync your magic with them so it should be fine."

Nodding as he finished counting out the galleons, Harry moved to the front of the room and put it all on the counter before waiting for the man to do his own count. When they was done he sent Harry a large grin, making him wonder just how rare it was that a Class 5 trunk was sold for the man to be his happy.

"All I need now is a name for when you collect it tomorrow."

Harry had no intention of giving his full name to the man, McGonagall had already warned him about that.

"Harry, I will be back first thing tomorrow for my trunk."

Without another word Harry turned his back to the man and left, Poe giving a small caw at the sudden movement.

It must have taken him longer inside the shop then he had realised, because there were a lot more people in the Alley now then there had been when he arrived. Shaking his head slightly Harry quickly made his way towards the bookshop he had gotten his school books from the day before, being careful to keep his head down and his hat covering his scar.

Luckily it wasn't too busy in the shop when he walked in, the girl behind the counter giving him a nice smile as he passed her that he ignored.

The next three hours was spent looking over every book on every shelf Harry could see, and every time he found a book that he was interested in it would be added to an ever growing pile next to the shop counter and the slowly widening eyes of the same girl from then he had first came in.

He also found the 'Standard Book of Spells' grade 2-7 to go with his grade 1, along with books on more advanced Charms, Potions, Transfiguration, Herbology, Defence and History. He had started reading the ones he had brought yesterday and had a feeling he would be done before he even started school, so wanted to have something to do until he was able to actually do any magic.

Then he started branching out into other subjects, wanting to find something interesting to keep his mind busy.

He found a book called 'Occlumency: The Art of the Mind', that explained how you stop someone reading your thoughts. After seeing that Harry had also grabbed several other books on the subject and one on its opposite called 'Legilimency: A Window into the Mind'. While he doubted he would ever use the second, Harry thought it would be wise to at least understand it so as to better protect himself.

After that he found books on Ancient Runes, which could apparently be used for anything from infusing objects with magic to creating barriers for buildings or even just an area. There were a _lot_ of books on the subject, the different kinds of Rune used by different civilizations, how they reacted with each other and even how to read and write them as if they were an actual language.

The only other book he found that was of current interest was a book called 'Animagus: Discovering your Inner Animal', which from what little he read before adding it to the pile was about how to turn yourself into an animal. The last one for some reason really interested him, partly because it didn't require a wand to learn so it would be something practical to do before school.

By the time he had finished there were several hundred books piled next to the counter next to a slightly bemused shop girl, who by that point was eyeing him critically.

"You do realize that all of these books will cost a _lot_ of money, right?"

Looking up from the Animagus book in his hands with a small frown, Harry shrugged before taking his pouch from his belt and holding it up for her to see.

"How much?"

Taking a moment to look at the pouch, the girl eventually shrugged before counting.

"Altogether it comes to…1726 Galleons, 14 Sickles and 2 Knuts…are you sure you want to spend this much on all these books?"

"Yes"

"Alright, I'll put them into a temporary expanded and feather light bag for you, no charge seeing as you are spending so much."

Shrugging without a care Harry quickly removed the necessary amount from his pouch, making a mental note to go and get some more from Gringotts after dropping his new books off back in his room at the Leaky Cauldron.

"Thanks for the business, oh before I forget we have a new catalogue where you can order books by Owl if you want, would you like one?"

By this point Harry was once again reading his book, so in answer merely gave a nod.

With all his books paid for he had one more stop before returning to the Leaky Cauldron, which was the Apothecary for extra Potion ingredients.

XXX

Over the next few weeks leading up to September 1st Harry spent almost all his time either read, organising his new trunk or wondering around Diagon Alley. As it stood the different uses for magic were proving to be an interesting distraction from his usual boredom, though it didn't seem to be any more of a challenge for him than any other subject he tried.

He took to Occlumency with surprising ease, apparently his mind was already organised for the most part so it gave him a head start on building shields in his mind. All of the books he read suggested imagining something from the real world around his mind, like a wall or a building to keep people out.

Harry decided to go one step further and instead of a building or wall was slowly building an actually maze in his mind, one that constantly changed paths. He then split his memories and knowledge into different parts behind hidden doors that only he could see, with a large collection of his more depressing memories in the centre to act as bait for anyone trying to invade his thoughts. He was also planning on adding something the books referred to as 'Guardians' which were mental constructs that acted like living creatures to guard his mind, but that was a more advanced skill and would take him another month at least to start.

Unfortunately for Harry this all came with the side effect of sharpening and focusing his mind even more than it used to be, which made things even easier and therefore more boring. If he wasn't more worried about someone trying to get in his head, Harry wouldn't have bothered learning Occlumency at all.

He had put learning German aside for a while as he learned Ancient Runes, and had already learned the basics for three different sets and brought a carving kit for when he was ready to start writing. Harry was hoping to be able to start on making his own broom by the end of the year, but it would depend on how much he needed to do while at school.

Maybe it would slow him down a little…though base on what he had read of the first few years of books Harry doubted it. He had already memories the first two years of books and had gotten through almost half of the third, at least for the core subjects.

His Animagus training was moving slower at least, requiring weeks if not months of meditation in order to even find his form, let alone start training to become it. He had been a little disappointed that he would only be able to turn into one animal and that he didn't actually get a choice in the matter, but was still interested in learning it regardless. In theory it should take another three months of meditation to find his form, but as for how long it would take him to be able to fully change into his animal would depend on him.

Harry wasn't sure why so few people seemed to bother to because Animagus, depending on what animal you could turn into it would be a useful skill to have. Though according to the book he was learning from it would normally take years to learn instead of the months he was aiming for, maybe they just didn't think it worth outing that much time into.

Harry just needed to remember to register his form with the Ministry of Magic when he was done, but that shouldn't be a problem.

As it was getting close to the time he was supposed to meet McGonagall in the pub alone with several 'Muggleborn' kids that needed help getting to and finding the platform for the train they would be taking to Hogwarts, Harry packed everything but his Standard Book of Spells Grade Three away into his trunk.

He then, with one hand pulling the magically lightened trunk with one hand and the other holding the book in front of his face, started to head down to wait in the Leaky Cauldron.

Poe had already left for Hogwarts and was going to meet him when he arrived.

The pub was free of its usual crowd of old drunk Wizards and Witches, and Harry could have sworn it smelled better than usual too. It seemed that Tom was pulling out all the stops for the new Muggleborn kids that were meeting there, said hunchback was currently in the process of handing a bottle of what Harry had learned was called Pumpkin juice to a blonde boy standing next to the bar with his parents.

Harry quietly made his way to a table in the corner of the room, away from most of the other people in the room so he could read his book in silence. It was actually working right up until someone walked over and decided to take the seat next to him, but Harry decided to just try and ignore them in the hopes the person would leave.

"I'm Hermione Granger, are your parents at work too? Mine dropped me off to wait for Professor McGonagall, but I'll see them again at Christmas so I guess its ok."

Still trying to ignore the girl, Hermione as he now knew her name to be, Harry didn't even glance at her and kept reading his book.

"Harry…"

"What book are you reading? I already read most of the books on the list we were given, after all it never hurts to read ahead."

The tone in her voice when she said she was reading head was clearly a mix of smugness and self-importance, though why she would feel that way for only reading a few chapter headed was beyond him. Unfortunately it was also clear the girl had no intention of leaving him alone, so with a sigh Harry lowered his book slightly to look at her over the top of it.

Hermione had long bushy brown hair, with matching blue eyes and slightly too large front teeth that gave her a slightly chipmunk appearance. She was already dressed in her black school robes, though without the stupid little hat, and her face was sill set with smugness.

"Why are talking to me when it is clear I am trying to read my bloody book in peace?"

The sight of her shocked face was almost enough to make him chuckle, which was followed by an even funnier look of righteous anger.

"You shouldn't say words like that, and I only came over because you were all on your own and I wanted to be nice."

Harry rolled his eyes as he turned back to his book.

"No you didn't, you wanted to come over and try and brag about reading ahead to the only other person your age reading a book. Though why you feel that reading a few chapters ahead is anything worth bragging about I do not understand. Now if you will shut the fuck up and leave me alone, I'm still trying to read."

Instead of leaving Hermione seemed to only get angrier at him and grabbed the book from his hands, standing up and stepping away so he couldn't take it back.

"You think you're so smart, but you're only half way through the book!"

"Look again, I'm reading two _years_ ahead. Now give me my book back."

His words seemed to take the wind out of her sails, and Harry gave her enough time to look at the cover and confirm what he said was true before snatching to book back.

He thought that would be the end of it and she would leave him alone, but a moment later Harry was disappointed when instead Hermione retook the seat next to him but with a more subdued attitude.

"I'm sorry…"

It was silent for about another minute as she waited for him to respond, before carrying on talking again.

"I just wanted to impress you…you were reading so I thought maybe we would have something in common, but don't really have any friends."

"Based on the fact one of the first things you did was boast, and very poorly at that, I am not surprised…"

"I said I was sorry."

"Yes, I heard you the first time."

"You're supposed to say you're sorry back.

"Why would I apologise when I am not sorry for anything I have said? Not only would it be a lie, but it would also be insulting to both of us."

For a moment Harry though she was going to start arguing with him again, but after taking several deep breaths pulled out a book of her own instead that Harry recognised as Hogwarts: A History.

After that they both fell into silence as they read their respective books for the next fifteen minutes before McGonagall walked out of the fireplace with a burst of green flames, and without breaking her stride moved to the middle of the room and called for everyone's attention. Harry also took note of the rope in her hands, but didn't think much of it.

"Good morning everyone, as you are al aware from my visits to each of you I am Professor McGonagall. In order to get to the platform I will be taking the children by use of a magic call a 'Portkey' straight from his room, so I will give everyone five minutes to say goodbye before gathering around me. When you do I will ask you to take a firm hold of a part of this rope in one hand, while keep the other on your trunks. I will warn you all know that Portkey's are not the most comfortable experience, but are the easiest for a group of our size."

With no one to say goodbye too, both Harry and Hermione moved to stand with McGonagall and took hold of the rope.

XXX

For reasons Harry couldn't understand, Hermione followed him to his train compartment and sat across from him. She didn't actually _say_ anything or even acknowledge his existence once she sat down, just pulled her book back out and seemed to be trying to read it as fast as she could.

He got the feeling that she was trying to catch up with him, which Harry knew from past experience never ended well for the other person. There had been several 'over achievers' while he was speeding through the Muggle education system, though they were always older then him by several years. Something about being outshined by a kid seemed to rub them off the wrong way and they tended to burn themselves out, one girl even went a little crazy and showed up to school in her dressing gown.

It had been funny to watch though if nothing else, but that wasn't the point. He could definitely see this girl driving herself insane trying to keep up with him. But honestly Harry didn't really care, it wasn't his problem or fault if Hermione didn't know when to quit.

With this thought in mind he shrugged to himself, before folding his legs under him and trying to fall into his meditative state for his continued search of his Animagus form.

Within a few short breaths he found himself, or at least himself in some mental form similar to when he was doing his Occlumency training, standing in a rather sparse woodland. The ground was marshy and sunk slightly under each step he took, the grass growing looking a slightly dull green grey. Even what few tress were in the area looked duller than normal, and the air was filled with a very light fog.

It was very quiet, no animals to make a sound in the seemingly endless landscape.

This was why it took so long for a person to find there Animagus form, once you are able to reach the necessary state of mid through meditation you still needed to _find_ your form. The only clue he would bet as to what he was looking for was the landscape itself, not that it helped rule out anything other than tropical and marine life.

He spent the next hour wandering around looking for any sign of his form, both ears and eyes open but with no success. Unfortunately after that first hour he was interrupted by someone shaking his shoulder in the real world and breaking his concentration.

Harry came back to his now stiff body with a groan and deep frown that he aimed at the one shaking him, his eyes slowly opening to the sight of Hermione glaring at him with a nervous round face boy standing behind her.

"You better have a bloody good reason for breaking my concentration…"

"You were asleep."

"I was meditating, and you broke my concentration."

Knocking her hand away from his shoulder, Harry turned his attention to the new face in the compartment with them.

"Who the hell are you and what do you want?"

Before the boy could speak Hermione stepped between them.

"He's Neville-"

"I was asking him, I assume he knows how to speak and doesn't need you to do it for him."

This seemed to shut her up for the moment, an embarrassed blush spreading across her cheeks as she stepped back again. The now named Neville look like he wanted to sink into the ground when Harry turned his full attention back on him, looking down and rubbing his hands together nervously.

"N-Neville Longbottom, I'm looking for my toad Trever and…"

"Why not simple ask an older student to use a summoning charm on your toad? I heard there are Prefects that you can ask, why not go find one of them?"

Both Hermione and Neville spent the next five second blinking at him, before letting out uncomfortable chuckles that made him sigh.

"Let me guess, the thought never even occurred to you. What was your plan, go to each compartment and ask if anyone had seen him?"

Shaking his head when neither spoke and Hermione's blush increased slightly, Harry picked up his book that he had left on the seat next to him and started reading. He didn't even look up as they both left in search of a Prefect, and was sorely tempted to lock the door behind them.

XXX

Harry kept himself to the back of the group of first years as they were led into the hallway to wait to be called into the Great Hall, Hermione and Neville standing on either side of him for some reason.

Since returning to the compartment on the train, the two hadn't left his side and he had been forced to take a boat across the lake with them. Locking the door to the compartment didn't work in the end because Hermione had kept banging on the door until he let them back in, eventually he had given in because she was making it impossible for him to read.

Harry had reluctantly put on the school robs, but instead of the stupid little pointy hat decided to keep his red cap on instead. He had gotten several look for it, but ignored them and was just grateful it covered his scar.

Even now he could hear several people talking about Harry Potter, asking if anyone had seen him yet. He had seen Hermione sending him the odd look out of the corner of her eye, moving from his face to his covered forehead before turning away when before he could look at her. She had definitely figured out who he was but hadn't tried to point him out yet, if nothing else it made him not hate her a little more.

Neville seemed to be more preoccupied with his recovered toad, which had been summoned by a female Prefect from Hufflepuff. Apparently Trever had been hiding in the girls toilet on the train, and had gone unnoticed sitting inside the toilet for several hours.

The screams of the 6th year girl that had been sat on it when the toad was being summoned could be heard throughout the entire train, and was enough make even Harry laugh when she had come running by his compartment with her jeans around her ankles and the toad flying behind her. He had even taken the time out of his reading to file the memory safely in his mind maze for later viewing.

Tuning back into the present, Harry looked to the front of the crowd to see Professor McGonagall standing in front of them. He didn't miss the way her eyes moved disapprovingly over a red headed boy's dirty nose, Neville's unbuttoned robes or his red hat. However she didn't call him out on it, so Harry decided not to worry.

A moment later they were all lead into the Great Hall, met with floating candles, an enchanted ceiling to look like the nights sky, and a sea of faces staring at them as they were led to the front of the room. There were five table in all, four separate ones for the students with their house banner hanging above them and the teachers table at the front of the hall.

Harry barely paid them any attention as he moved with the crowd of fellow 1st years, before being instructed to form a line.

He listened as McGonagall walked forward with a stool in one hand and a ratty old hat in the other, before stepping away and the hall fell into silence as all eyes turned to the hat.

Harry looked on with bored eyes waiting for something to happen, only to be surprised along with everyone else when a rip in the hat started twitching before moving as if it were a mouth as the hat burst into song.

" _Oh you may not think I'm pretty,  
But don't judge on what you see,  
I'll eat myself if you can find  
A smarter hat than me._

 _You can keep your bowlers black,  
Your top hats sleek and tall,  
For I'm the Hogwarts Sorting Hat  
And I can cap them all._

 _There's nothing hidden in your head  
The Sorting Hat can't see,  
So try me on and I will tell you  
Where you ought to be._

 _You might belong in Gryffindor,  
Where dwell the brave at heart,  
Their daring, nerve, and chivalry  
Set Gryffindors apart;_

 _You might belong in Hufflepuff,  
Where they are just and loyal,  
Those patient Hufflepuffs are true  
And unafraid of toil;_

 _Or yet in wise old Ravenclaw,  
if you've a ready mind,  
Where those of wit and learning,  
Will always find their kind;_

 _Or perhaps in Slytherin  
You'll make your real friends,  
Those cunning folks use any means  
To achieve their ends._

 _So put me on! Don't be afraid!  
And don't get in a flap!  
You're in safe hands (though I have none)  
For I'm a Thinking Cap!_"

Harry was fascinated by the seemingly sentient hat, his eyes actually open fully without any boredom for what must have been the first time in years. But once again his attention was pulled away by the sound of McGonagall speaking to them, her stern voice cutting through the applause from the other students that he had only just noticed.

"When I call your name you will come forward, I will place The Sorting Hat on your head, and you will be sorted into your houses."

Harry once again tuned out as one by one the other 1st years were called up, caring very little for where anyone or even he himself was placed. He did listen with one ear as Hermione was sorted into Ravenclaw and Neville into Hufflepuff, neither were much of surprise to him based on what he knew of the houses and the little time he had been forced to spend with them.

Hermione was a bookworm through and through, not that he was one to talk. But Harry also liked the practical side of work too, something he wasn't sure would be the brown haired girl's forte. Neville on the other hand was an open book, shy and lacking confidence. Yet after finding his toad the boy had returned to the compartment despite the fact Harry made him uncomfortable, meaning he was loyal even to someone he had just met.

While Harry had little interest in making friends, he could have had worse people latch onto him. And that was what the two seemed to have done, at least to some extent.

"Harry Potter"

The moment the name passed McGonagall's lips all sound in the hall stopped, all heads turning as one to the stool. It would have been a very unnerving sight if he wasn't expecting it, even the Professors were suddenly leading forward in their seats.

Frowning at the attention, Harry took a step forward and slowly made his way to the stool with a bored expression on his face. He also didn't miss the faces of Hermione and Neville at their respective tables, the new Ravenclaw with a slightly smug expression for guessing who he was and the new Hufflepuff looking at his with suddenly wide eyes.

He took the seat without a word, removing his hat and not a moment later his sight was coved by the brim of the Sorting Hat.

" _Well now, it has been many a year since I sat on the head of someone like yourself Mr Potter. And such an interesting Occlumency defence, it almost had me stumped for a moment there..._ "

Harry knew instantly that the voice was inside his mind, the slight itching sensation at the back of his head that he had set as his warning if anyone tried to read his mind telling him all he needed to know. He was a little disappointed that the Hat was sable to get through his maze, but then again he was still learning the art and was a long way from finishing.

He decided to think his answer instead of speaking, sure that if the Hat could send thoughts into his head he could heard them too.

" _Thank you, though it seems I they still need work. Call me Harry by the way._ "

" _Very well, but you shouldn't be upset Harry. I have gotten passed any and all defensives, nothing can keep me out for long. Though I will admit I have never encountered a maze before, maybe when you are finished you could put me on again and I will test it for you._ "

" _I would like that, but it seems our conversation is taking too long, and you are supposed to be sorting me into a house…_ "

He heard what seemed to be the equivalent of a mental sigh in his head.

" _Well that is a problem Harry, because I honestly don't know where to put you."_

"… _has this ever happened before?"_

" _Never in all my years of sorting, there have been tuff choices of course. Sometimes a mind will be fit for two or three houses, but you are different."_

Harry could hear the muttering from the students as time when on, even McGonagall seemed to be getting fidgety. He ignored them all as the Hat carried on.

" _You are more than smart enough for Ravenclaw, too smart in fact. I fear that by placing you in the house the others will kill themselves trying to compete with you. then there is the fact you have little care for the search of knowledge, and simple try to keep yourself from being bored, so I cannot send you there. Hufflepuff wouldn't work, you have no true understand of loyalty or people and hard work is not really necessary for one such as yourself. You have no true fear, but at the same time there is no bravery that would allow me to place you in Gryffindor. Slytherin might have been a good fit as you are more than cunning enough, but it is overshadowed by your brashness and_ _you have no true goal or ambition. You truly are an interesting person Harry…would you like to be placed in any of the houses? Choose where you want to go?"_

" _I have no preference, and personally feel the system is outdated and should have been abolished by now. No offense to you of course, but separating students seems to only ensure house rivalry."_

" _I am afraid you are correct, but I was created to sort and that is what I must do."_

To many it may have seemed weird that he was having a philosophical conversation with a mind reading Hat, but Harry was able to take the oddness in his stride.

It was at this point that McGonagall cleared her throat and stepped forward, leaning down to talk to the Sorting Hat.

"Is there a problem, there are other students that need to be sorted still and you have been sat on Mr Potter for the last twenty minutes…"

This time when it spoke, the Hat did so out loud for all to hear.

" _I am afraid there is indeed a problem Minerva, I am not able to place Mr Potter in any of the houses._ "

There was a collective gasp throughout the hall from both students and teachers, and Harry was able to see McGonagall's feet stumble back a little before she caught herself but the Hat was still over his eyes. Then everyone started talking over each other, the noise getting louder by the second until after had passed they were silenced by a loud band.

The bang was followed by what Harry thought sounded like a very old man's voice filling the newly created silence.

"If everybody could please calm down…thank you. Minerva I think it would be best if Mr Potter join us here at the staff table for the feast so we can finish the Sorting Ceremony, and we can discuss his situation after we are all fed."

" _I guess this is goodbye for now Harry, do remember to visit me when you have finished your Occlumency training. Speaking to you and getting passed your defensives have been the most fun I've had in centuries._ "

" _Of course…do you have a name?"_

"… _HA! In all my years, you are the only person to ever ask me my name. You may call me…Genus, Genus Hat is my name._ "

Harry couldn't help but sort quietly at that, the Sorting Hat's name was Latin for Sorting Hat. He should have known.

Before he could comment though the hat was removed from his head and Harry was directed to a small table that had suddenly appear next to the Staff table, right next to a small man that Harry thought looked like he might have Goblin ancestry. The man looked to be no taller than his waist, and was wearing something similar to what he had seen several Goblins wearing when he had been to Gringotts in the form of a black suit.

With his face still set in a bored expression, Harry shrugged his shoulders and walked over to take his seat, every eye in the room following his movement as he pulled out his Standard Book of Spells Grade 3 again to read while he waited for the food.

XXX

 **Hope you like the chapter.**

 **I always thought Neville and Hermione should never have been sorted into Gryffindor, because while both brave it was never there most defining trait.**

 **I also wanted to do something different with Harry, because as far as I know no one has ever done this before. D**

 **also, well done to '** Damix96' **, for being so close with his questions about which House Harry would be in. You were right about him not fitting into any of them :)**

 **Let me know what you think!**


	3. Hogwarts

**Based on what people have been saying in reviews, what I have planned for Harry has been done before. However the full details of it will not be coming out until later in the fic, properly at the start of his second year.**

 **Also I will say now that Dumbledore is not manipulative or evil in this fic, and all will be explained in later chapters :)**

 **Enjoy :)**

XXX

 **Disclaimer: I own nothing :(**

XXX

Chapter 3- Hogwarts

XXX

The Headmasters office was…odd.

There was no other way to describe it as far as Harry was concerned, between the collection of moving painting hung on the back wall, shelves of unnamed items and a desk full of moving…things that gave off different coloured smoke. An empty perch with a tray of ashes stood to the left of a large ornate desk made from a soft brown coloured wood, inlaid with gold in curling vine like patter.

And sat behind it was perhaps the oddest thing of all.

Albus Dumbledore, a legend among Wizards of the current age, dressed in pink and yellow stripped robes with a green pointed hat sat atop his head. Sat in a high-backed chair made to match the desk between them, with a china cup in his hand full of tea and a grandfatherly smile on his lips as his eyes seemed to almost twinkle as they starred into his own. The brighter blue eyes locked onto what many in the Wizarding world referred to as 'Avada Kedavra' green, normally with a slight flinch at the thought of the Killing Curse.

Harry had been brought to the office after the feast along with McGonagall, the short Professor he know knew as Flitwick, a plump but kind woman Sprout and a man that made him think of a bat named Snape. They were apparently the heads of the four houses, each representing their own for this supposed meeting on what to do with him.

The Sorting Hat was sat on a high shelf to his right, seeming unmoving again as the five adults talked as if he was not sat in the room with them.

It seemed McGonagall, Sprout and Flitwick were trying to convince Dumbledore to place him in their own house, while Snape was of the mind to send him away. Harry got the distinct impression that the man did not like him, though was unsure why when he had not even spoke to the man. Normally people started hating him _after_ they got to know him, or even simple after a few words with him at least.

Though after being told by both Dumbledore and his fellow head of house that Harry would be going nowhere, the man had fallen silent and chose instead to glare at a wall.

"Albus you need to decided where the lad will go."

McGonagall looked about ready to strangle the old wizard, who with the exception of refusing Snape's idea had remained silent as the other three Professors argued.

"I am afraid that is not possible Minerva, the Sorting Hat is the only one that can place a student in a House. While it has never happened before, the Laws of Hogwarts are clear on this fact."

This finally got them all to stop arguing, and after a moment Flitwick spoke up in his slightly squeaky voice.

"Well then what are we going to do then?"

Harry found it a little odd that the three stopped arguing instantly after only two sentences, but didn't have time at the moment to think it over.

"I am afraid there is very little we _can_ do, the Hat declared he could not be sorted into any of the Houses."

They all fell silent at this point again, each trying to figure out what to do with him.

It was at this point Harry had had enough.

"Are you old coots done talking about me as if I was deaf and dumb, or would you like to keep going for another few minutes and continue to ignore me?"

That got the attention of all five of the adults.

McGonagall looked resigned, having already dealt with him and his attitude before. Both Flitwick seemed to be shocked speechless, mouths open and eyes slightly widened. Dumbledore was merely smiling at him, as if he had been waiting for Harry to speak those exact words from the start. But the biggest reaction came from Snape, who turned his glare from the wall to him with a sneer on his lips.

"How dare you speak to us in such a manor, you spoiled, rude little-"

"While I will admit to being rude, I can assure you that I have never been spoiled in my known memory. My relative made sure of that with great pleasure, as they so often liked to tell me while I was locked in a cupboard."

His words seemed to have the desired effect of shutting the bat like man up, his face suddenly taking on a slight confused expression before it was hidden behind a mask of indifference. He glanced out of the corner of his eyes to see the now even more shocked expressions of Sprout and Flitwick, and the saddened ones of McGonagall and Dumbledore.

After waiting a moment to make sure he would not be interrupted, Harry continued in a bored tone he was well known for.

"Anyway why would I show respect to any of you, when you have spent the last fifteen minutes arguing over me like I was a hunk of meat. You call me rude, which I am, yet do not see it in your own actions towards me. None of you have even asked me what my thoughts are one the matter, and it is about me in the first place."

That seemed to dumbfound all but Dumbledore, who simple continued to stare at him with that twinkle in his eye.

It was the Headmaster that finally addressed him, after waiting for the others to regain their bearings.

"You are very right my boy, and I am sorry for not asking you sooner. What would you suggest be done?"

"Well the Hat already asked me which House I wanted to be in, and I told him I thought the entire system of separating students was an outdated and flawed concept. A sentiment might I add, that Genus agreed with."

He got several confused look from the five adults, before McGonagall finally spoke.

"Who is Genus, Mr Potter?"

"Genus Hat is the Sorting Hat's real name, apparently I'm the first person to ask according to him. We had a very nice conversation in fact while he was going through my head."

He got several blank expressions from the adults for a moment before Dumbledore finally let out a chuckle, his smile stretching a little further across his face.

"Genus Hat, of course. How have I never thought to ask him his name in all these years…well done my boy, well done. But this still does not answer the question, what shall we do with you?"

Leaning back in his seat as he was starting to get bored of the conversation, Harry let out a deep sigh and shrugged his shoulders.

"Why not simple set me up in an unused classroom? With a castle this big I am sure that there are at least several that are not being used. It doesn't even need to be that big seeing as I have a bedroom in my trunk I can sleep in."

His last words seemed to get their attention, and Flitwick seemed to ounce in his seat for a moment before speaking.

"Class 4 or 5?"

"Class 5, I bought it the day after Professor McGonagall left me at the Leaky Cauldron. It seemed much more efficient, and is very useful."

Before the short Professor could say anymore, and it look like he was going to, Dumbledore cleared his throat and drew there attention back to him.

"That sounds like a very good plan, Mr Potter. As it so happens you are correct that we have an abundance of unused rooms, though one in particular comes to mind. I think you will find the room at the top of the third tower of the North-West section of the school to be to your liking, and I am sure Minerva would be happy to show you the way."

After seeming to have a silent conversation between herself and the Headmaster, McGonagall gave a sharp nod in his direction before turning to leave the room.

"Come alone Mr Potter, it is getting late and you will need your rest for tomorrow. Classes my not start until Monday, but you should take the time to learn your way around while you can before then."

XXX

The room Harry was taken to was at the top of a very long set of spiral stairs and was empty except for the thick layer of dust covering the walls and floor. There was a window on the wall to the right of the door, but it was covered in dust and a thick layer of grime.

Harry was a little surprised to see that his truck was the only thing placed in the room, right in the centre.

McGonagall had walked into the room, pulled out her wand and waved it in the air. It was with that simple, and silent, motion that all the dust in the room seemed to swirl into a spot directly in front of them. Another swish of her wand had the mini tornado vanish into thin air, leaving the room completely spotless.

She handed him the key for the room before leaving without another word, closing the door behind her. Waiting for five minutes to make sure she had left, Harry moved to his trunk and held his wand to the fourth lock from the left.

"Redwood"

There was a dull click as the password was accepted, and Harry pulled the lip open to reveal a ladder leading down into a room lit with a red light.

Climbing down into his storage room, Harry looked at the mostly empty shelves. Instead of walls were shelves, and there were four other shelves in the middle of the room with five foot between them. Attached to the roof were three simple iron chandeliers, with red candles lit with small red flames.

But he didn't go further into the room then a few feet, coming to a stop in front of a six foot tall wooden perch. A moment later he climbed back out with the perch in hand, setting it next to the trunk before closing it and moving towards the window.

Now that it was clean Harry was able to see that he had a view of the Black Lake and a good portion of the school grounds, and that he seemed to be in one of the tallest towers of the castle. He also saw a small black shape flying towards him, and quickly opened the widow just in time for Poe to fly through and land on his shoulder.

Leaving the window open Harry turned back to the truck and closed the lid with his foot while running a finger over Poe's neck, the click that came when it closed telling him that it was locked again.

"Hope you had a good fly girl, looks like things are going to be complicated from now on. At least it might be interesting for a while…"

Kneeling down in front of the trunk again, Harry held his one to the first lock this time.

"Dogwood"

Again there was a click as the compartment unlocked, and with Poe still perched on his shoulder as he climbed down into the bedroom. Unlike the storage room, this one was lit with normal candles. It was furnished with a king sized bed, a nightstand on either side of the bed and a large oak cabinet. There was a door on the far side of the room that lead to a small bathroom, but it did include a shower so it was better than nothing. The bedroom was also the smallest of the seven rooms, with the stasis and storeroom coming in a second and third,

There was also another perch in this room, but after reaching the bottom of the ladder Poe gave a quiet caw and flew up to her other perch to keep watch over his trunk. Harry wasn't sure _how_ he knew this was what she was dong, just that she was.

He silently moved reading up on familiars up several spots on his to-do lost, this strange connection he had with Poe was practically calling for him to look into it.

Sighing Harry reached up and pulled the lid closed, waiting for the click before moving away.

XXX

The next morning Harry woke up at 6am and after taking a quick shower decided to take McGonagall's advice about familiarizing himself with the castle for a few hours, before taking the afternoon to finally practices magic. He was out of the room by 6:30 with Poe happily perched on his shoulder, locking the door behind him.

He had forgone the school robes, having found a loophole that said he only needed to where them at the start of the academic year, holiday feasts and the end of year feast. Instead he wore a long sleeved dark blue shirt, black jeans and his red cap. It was sure to get a few odd look he was sure, and there was a chance a Professor might try and call him out on it but Harry didn't care.

Thankfully he had already memorised the rout he was led by that night, though it did take him the long way as it passed the Headmaster's office. He passed no one on his way, most seeming to choses to sleep in on the first day.

Even when he arrived at the Great Hall there were only a few students from each house, though most seemed to be from Ravenclaw.

There were several Professors sat at the head table, though the only ones he recognised were McGonagall and Flitwick. He did see Hagrid waving to him, but seeing as the large man was the grounds keeper Harry wasn't surprised to see him up early.

They had set a table up for him again next the staff table, and Harry made his way straight for it without even glancing at the people he passed. The same could not be said of them, because every head turned to follow him as he went by. It was really annoying, and he couldn't stop the small frown coming to his otherwise bored expression.

He did however notice several people's eyes moving between his face and Poe sat on his shoulder, but chose to ignore it.

The moment he sat down at his table, the golden plate in front of him filled with several pieces of bacon, sausages and a hardboiled egg with a piece of buttered toast. He was about to dig in when he felt a slight nudge in his head, making him pause.

It wasn't someone trying to read his mind that much he was sure about, it felt different from when Genus had gotten in. This was more like something already there, already inside his mind and just giving him a little poke to remind him it was.

He looked to Poe sat on his shoulder, the large Raven already staring at him. Harry wasn't sure how, but he somehow knew it was her that had sent him the nudge. Then after thinking about it for a moment, he realised that he understood what it meant.

Not taking his eyes off of Poe, he reached a hand out and took a strip of bacon from his plate and held it out for her to take. She did, swallowing it in one go before letting out a small caw. Then he got another nudge in his mind, this one clearly giving off a sense of happiness and gratitude.

Interesting, so he and Poe were somehow linked mentally.

He wondered if there was more to it, or even a way to increase the connection somehow…

Deciding to put those thought aside for the moment until he looked up what having a familiar meant, Harry turned back to his breakfast and started eating at a sedate pace.

Unfortunately he was interrupted a moment later when three first years wearing the Slytherin colours walked over and stood in front of him, two that looked like they were half troll and a smaller blond kid with his hair slicked back and an arrogant smirk on his face. Harry chose to ignore them and keep eating, Poe keeping an eye on the three of them from her perch on his shoulder.

This went on for several minutes, the blonde boy seemed to get more and more annoyed by the second as he continued to ignore them in favour of his food.

Eventually the blonde broke first, and quickly returned to his arrogant expression before speaking.

"So your Harry Potter are you? My father told me you would be coming this year, my name is Draco Malfoy."

The only answer the now named Draco recovered was the sound of hi cutlery on his plate as he continued to eat. This only seemed to get under the boys skin further.

"Did you hear me, I said I was a Malf-"

"Heard you the first time, didn't care then either. Now fuck off, I'm trying to eat and your voice is getting on my nerves."

This seemed to leave Draco in shock for a moment, before it turned to outright anger.

"You can't talk to me like that! I am a Pureblood, an elite of the Wizarding world. I deserve respect!"

Harry still didn't look up from his meal, but waited until he swallowed the bite in his mouth before speaking.

"I don't give a crap, I was raised by Muggle's and only learned about Magic about a month ago. I have no concept of 'Pureblood', and neither do I care for one now. As for respect, why would I respect you? I don't know you, never met or heard of you or your family before. You have done nothing to earn my respect and therefore will not get it, if anything at this point I find you pathetic. You come here and interrupted my meal and for what, to boast about your supposed superiority? You're nothing but an arrogant brat, a brat that will probably only ever use his family's name to get what he wants because he knows his own is worthless as shit on its own."

Every point he made caused Draco to flinch slightly and by the end he took a step back with a confused expression on his face, all arrogance forgotten for the moment in the face of everything Harry had just said.

Turns out reading all those books on Psychology was useful after all.

"Now if you would be so kind as to fuck off, I am still eating."

Seemed to boy wasn't as stupid as Harry had first thought, because he had enough sense to retreat when it was offered. He doubted it would be the last he saw of the boy though, he seemed too arrogant to let his words get to him for long.

When he finished Harry didn't stick around for the Hall to fill, though it already had more people coming in by this point. Without glancing at anyone he quickly left, deciding that his first task of the day was finding a faster rout from his room to the Great Hall.

No one noticed him slipping his knife from the table into his pocket.

XXX

Harry decided that Hogwarts was an interesting place, something he didn't say about many thing…at least before all this magic stuff anyway.

Between the living portraits, moving staircases and ever changing corridors it was impossible to work out regular routes. He had been led in several different circles, ended up at three dead ends and at one point had been bitten by a doorknob that didn't want to be opened.

It was all very interesting, if odd and pointless from a school perspective.

Then again he supposed it would work as a kind of defence if anything or anyone wanted to cause harm to the students.

He had even two hidden passageways.

One was hidden behind an old tapestry on the second floor that conveniently lead to the bottom of his tower, and the other he found when he tripped and grabbed a touch bracket to steady himself and a door appeared in front of him that lead to the Entrance Hall of all places.

It was actually a little confusing to him, so he wondered how normal students were supposed to find their way around the Maze that was Hogwarts Castle.

Maybe he could try and draw a map? The only problem with that would be when the school decided to change it would be useless, but maybe there was a pattern to the changes and if he found it maps would work…

It was a thought for another time.

Eventually he decided that there was no point in trying to familiarise himself with the castle layout for the moment, so made his way back to his room.

Without pausing in his stride Harry knelt down in front of his chest and held his wand to the Sixth lock.

"Oakwood"

He heard the usual click of the lock as it unlocked and opened the lid before climbed down, pulling it shut behind him.

This compartment was his training room, and was the largest of the seven. It was rather bare compared to the others, and was most just a large room a little smaller than the Great Hall. There were targets set up against the back wall, along with several dummies that vaguely resembled humans in dark robes that Harry assumed were supposed to be 'Dark Wizards'. According to the man he had brought the trunk from, the dummies could actually be spelled to move when you had enough experience to cast the spell and had even included it free of charge.

Like all the compartments with the exception of the Storage and Stasis room there was a wooden perch set just inside the room for Poe to sit on, which she did the moment he moved to stand in the middle of the room. He then put the knife he had taken from his table on the floor in front of him.

His wand still in hand from when he unlocked the compartment, Harry took a deep breath and closed his eyes, only to pause for a moment before speaking the first spell.

His mind went back to hat night, when McGonagall had cast her odd cleaning spell. The Professor had done so without words, or even fancy wand movements. She had simple waved her wand and the magic reposed to what she had wanted.

If that was possible, why was it necessary to learn the words and movements in the first place?

The answer soon came to him after a few minutes of thought, the words and movements were nothing more than a crutch. They were used to help children to visualize what they wanted to happen in there head, and because they expected the magic to respond to the movements and words they did.

Why would Magic be bound by a single langue like Latin? Why would it need certain wand movements to know what to do? While Harry doubted he would be able to cast Spells silently yet, he did wonder if he needed to speak them in Latin at all.

It was a theory for later thought, something for him to come back to in a year or two maybe.

But for now he would keep to the set method, and with that in mind pointed his wand at the knife laying at his feet.

"Wingardium Leviosa"

The knife twitched slightly, but didn't leave the ground.

"Wingardium Leviosa"

This time it bounced several inches, but still didn't float.

"Wingardium Leviosa"

This time it slowly started to float in front of him, following his wand movements as he slowly lifted it before letting it go with a frown. That had not taken as long as he was expecting it to, but the Levitation Charm was a very basic spell so maybe others would be harder.

He tried out several others spells, some taking more than five attempts while others he was able to cast on the first try. He did this until it got boring, leaving the knife for more practice later on where it had dropped in the middle of the room.

Climbing out of his trunk he held his wand to the seventh lock before speaking the password.

"Birchwood"

The Potions lab compartment was lit with the same red candles as the storage room, some potions reacted to light so the red was a safer colour to work under and was less likely to interfere with anything he tried to make.

After reading the first three years of books, Harry came to the realisation that Potions making was not all that different from chemistry. They may have used different ingredients and Potions required more complicated steps or conditions for different potions, but they were essentially the same.

A lot of it seemed to me medicinal, Boil, Itchiness, Headache, Etc. Though they did seem to be faster reacting then the Muggle alternatives, the purposes were the same. Most of the first and second year seemed to be based on medical potions, before branching out slightly in third year.

Harry wondered if the school was using the correctly brewed potions to keep the school Medical Wing stocked on the more commonly used potion, it seemed like a very practical arraignment to him if they were if nothing else.

Why waist what could be used after all.

Flipping through the third year potion book he had left in the lab the last time he was working on potions before coming to Hogwarts, Harry stopped at the next on his 'to-try list'. The Blood Replenishing Potion, it seemed to be a very useful thing to have on hand for emergencies and was universal for all types of blood. That meant one potion fit all, and when ingested stimulated the body into producing twice the normal amount of blood for one hour.

There was a warning that taking too large a dose could cause issues, and that the potion needed to be kept in Size 1 glass vials. You were only meant to take one an hour before you could redoes, and even then only if the person taking it had lost a lot of blood would they need a second dose after the first.

Quickly reading the instructions Harry made sure to commit them to memory, before moving to the small cabinet that was connected to the Stasis compartment. All he had to do was hold his wand to the closed door and tell it what he wanted, and when he opened it they would be inside waiting for him.

The only time he needed to actually enter the Stasis compartment of his trunk was to check and restock it. Which was good because the runes and spells that made it gave him a headache if he was in there for more than a few minutes at a time, and often made him dizzy.

XXX

Harry was once again in the marsh forest looking for his Animagus Form.

After several hours of practicing spells and Potions he had decided to get some mediation in before dinner, having skipped launch without realising it.

He was thankful that he didn't feel any cold while wondering the endless landscape, seeing as he wasn't actually in his body and was merely a mental projection inside his own mind. Though it was odd not being about to actually feel the soft ground give way under his feet and he walked, yet still knowing that it did.

His body felt to…light in this place, both there but not at the same time. He wondered if this was what it felt like to be a ghost, having seen several floating around the castle while he was looking around earlier in the day. If so it wasn't for him, the thought of being unable to actually touch or do anything would drive him insane.

He had been wander around for the last hour, slowly trudging through the muddy ground when it got too moist for grass to grow. It was raining, by the raindrops never seemed to actually touch him or his cloths. They did make the ground wetter though, which was annoying.

As he walked Harry tried to think of what kind of animal lived in a place like this, but nothing really jumped out at him.

It was while he was lost in thought that something odd happened, something that he wasn't expecting. Slowly as he continued to walk in the same direction, the landscape started to change.

The rain stopped and the sky cleared of clouds, though the world around him still seemed a little dull. The ground under his feet changed to hard, dry earth. The only thing that really stayed the same were the trees sparsely spread out around him.

Frowning in though, Harry tried to remember if he had read anything about this happening in his book. It took a moment, but he did recall a passage that said the inner landscape could change if the animal had more than one kind of natural habitat.

Harry only hoped this meant he was a step closer to finding his form.

It was at that exact moment that his attention was brought to a shadow running across the ground ahead of him, moving too fast for him to see clearly. Running forward now in an attempt to chase the shadow, Harry quickly caught up with it only to find that there was nothing there actually casting it.

Eyes narrowing as the shadow began to circle around him, it hit him a moment later and his head shot up into the sky above his head. And there high in the air above him, was a bird. He couldn't make it out clearly, the sun behind it making it impossible to identify the animal exactly but it was definitely a bird of some kind.

Feeling excited for the first time in many years, Harry held out his hand for the bird to land on it. He saw it start to descend, moving straight towards him and he couldn't keep the grin off of his face as it got closer and came into view.

Then he laughed as the creature landed on his outstretched arm, finding humour in the irony of his Animagus Form and wondering if some higher being was trying to make a joke.

XXX

Harry didn't go to dinner that night, too excited about finding his form and losing track of time again. This was the most fun he had had in years, not only was it hard and time consuming, but he entire process was fascinating.

He had told Poe what his form was when he had returned to his body, his legs slightly cramped from sitting crossed legged on his bed and not even realising at the time he was speaking to her as if she was a human an understood everything he was saying. Because as he was starting to understand, she really did understand. He had gotten a sense of happiness from his familiar at learning he was a bird, and Harry also got the feeling she was looking forward to flying with him when he was able.

After that Harry had started reading the next set of instructions for his Animagus training, having waited until he found his actual form before reading the next step.

Was this what it felt like to be excited about something? It had been so long since he had last felt it Harry didn't even remember what it was like, the rush and anticipation was exhilarating. Too feel _excited_ about something, not just curios or interested! He didn't realize how much he had missed it!

He eventually fell asleep with his book on his chest and a smile on his face, Poe watching him from her perch with an almost motherly gleam in her eyes as she watched him sleep.

XXX

 **I felt this would be a good spot to end here, partly because I wanted to be a little evil. )**

 **I'll let people guess what Harry's Animagus form is, but I will say most will probably get it wrong. I have purposely not said what it is to mess with people for the hell of it here, while giving clues that I am sure will lead people in the wrong direction while still pointing to the right answer.**

 **Like I said, I am Evil!**

 **Though to anyone that does guess right, well done and check in a review or just wait and see.**

 **This chapter was a little shorter, but still over 5000 so I am happy with it.**

 **Please let me know what you thought! :)**


	4. Nothing New

**Ok, so this chapter is being posted earlier the Wednesday, but there is a reason for that. Wednesday is not the best day for me to be posting due to normal life getting in the way, as I am sure many of you can understand. As such I will be posting from this point on Saturdays, starting next week. As such I decided to post this one early as little present for anyone reading.**

 **There will NOT be one tomorrow, I want to make sure that is clear, or on Wednesday this week. After this chapter is posted, the next will be on the 11** **th** **. Also remember I am British, and work English time zone, so it may not be the same as your own.**

 **Harry is not perfect, though it may seem like it for a while. There will be things that he cannot do, or that others will be better or equally good at. But at the moment he is surrounded by kids his own age when he is used to outshining people more than twice his age.**

 **You will start to see things in later chapters that show his flaws, but I am not rushing to show them as they are not important at this moment in the story.**

 **Enjoy :)**

XXX

 **Disclaimer: I own nothing :(**

XXX

Chapter 4- Nothing New

XXX

The next day Harry didn't leave his room, moving from one compartment of his trunk to another while Poe kept watch for him. He didn't even notice that he hadn't eaten since the day before, or even that he was hungry. All he did was read books, practice his spells, make potions and meditate.

It was very relaxing, no annoying people trying to talk to him or adults complaining about his attitude problems. Just Harry, Poe and his work.

But the day after was the start of the School term, and as much as he wanted to stay in his room Harry knew if he stayed someone would be sent to find him. So with Poe once again perched on his shoulder, Harry made his way down to the Great Hall for 8am after getting some last minute practice in.

Unlike the last time he had been there, the Hall was full by the time he arrived. He saw the eyes of the students following him as he walked to his table, heard the muttering and whispers. Did they actually think he was deaf? It was like they weren't even trying to hide the fact they were talking about him.

Just one more reason why he hate kid, Muggle or Magical it seemed they were all the same. When he was in Muggle education it was because he was better than everyone else, even when compared to people more than twice his age. Here it was because he was famous already without knowing it, for something his parents had probably done when he was a baby. How would they react when they found out he was already two years ahead academically?

He kept his eyes forward as he walked, laughing inside his head when the noticed Poe glaring at anyone that openly starred at him for too long until they looked away. Honestly sometimes it was like the Raven was his mother…but then again it wasn't a bad feeling.

When he reached the table there was a sheet of paper already on the table waiting for him, and after a quick glance Harry realized it was his timetable.

 _9am-11am - Potions X 2 (Ravenclaw & Hufflepuff)_

 _11:10am-12:10pm – History of Magic (Gryffindor & Slytherin)_

 _12pm-1pm – Lunch_

 _1pm-2:30pm – Transfiguration (Ravenclaw & Slytherin)_

 _2:35pm-3:35pm – Herbology (Hufflepuff & Gryffindor)_

 _3:45pm-5pm – Charms (Ravenclaw & Gryffindor)_

The main difference between today and the rest of the week was that he only had History of Magic today and the rest of the week was Defence Against the Dark Arts with Hufflepuff & Slytherin and Astronomy Friday night with Ravenclaw and Gryffindor. There were other variations of the same classes, but always with the same houses.

At least he only had the one class to deal with the Gryffindor/Slytherin rivalry, and it was only History so they wouldn't have a chance to be throwing spells at each other. It seemed because he wasn't in any of the four houses they were trying to have him interact with each, possible in the hope he might choose one himself later.

Harry had no intention of choosing a house, either now or in the future. Even if he did, Dumbledore had said himself that only Genus could place him so it was pointless to think about.

Taking his seat Harry instantly took one of the pieces of bacon that had appeared and offered it to Poe, who gave a small caw and took it straight away before eating himself. He found it a little odd that the plate seemed to be filled with things he was craving or wanted, and resolved to find out how it work later.

When he was done Harry left without a word, quickly making his way towards the dungeon after asking a painting for directions.

He ideally wondered why a school would need a dungeon as he walked, but came to the conclusion that it must have been added before the castle became a school. Either that or the Four Founders were more than a little touched in the head, because it seemed unnecessary to him and a waste of time to have been built otherwise.

Despite the torches on the walls with decent sized flames burning a casting light into the otherwise pitch darkness, the dungeons were very cold and damp. Harry was forced to walk around several puddles that had formed from drips in the roof on his way to the Potions classroom, and the walls seemed to have a thin layer of slim coating them.

There was also the smell of mold think in the air, though he couldn't actually see any.

He felt Poe shifting on his shoulder slightly, the Raven's head moving in every direction as if keeping watch for an attack. Not that Harry could blame her, the entire atmosphere seemed to scream 'Slasher Movie!' waiting to happen.

When he finally reached his destination Harry found that he was the first person to arrive, the empty classroom seeming very quiet without anyone else there. Each table seemed big enough to seat three people, with room for a cauldron and enough space left over to work with ingredient without getting in anyone else's way. At the front of the room was a large blackboard, with a desk next to it for the Professor that had several piles of parchment on it.

After taking a quick look around he moved to take a seat at a table at the very back of the room in the right corner, before pulling out a paper and self-refilling quill and placing them on the table in front of him. When he had done this Harry sat down, before pulling out his level 4 Potions book and reading.

A few minutes later other students started to arrive, none seeming to notice his presence in the corner as they moved to sit with the new friends they had made over the last few days since arriving. In fact it wasn't until two people arrived that anyone took any notice of him, a state Harry missed almost as soon as it was gone.

Hermione walked into the room with Neville a step behind her, before taking a look around the room and spotting him reading. With only a moment of hesitation she made her way over to his table and took the seat next to him, Neville take the one on her other side without question.

For a moment nothing was said as both took out a quill and some parchment, all three ignoring the looks now being sent towards them. Though Harry was faring better than the other two, Hermione was clearly trying to show a face of indifference and failing, and Neville looked like he wanted to disappear inside his robes.

But eventually his peace and quiet was ended as Hermione turned in her seat to look at him with a frown on her face.

"Why aren't you wearing your school robes?"

He was once again dressed in normal 'Muggle' clothes, his red hat still in place and covering his scar.

Without looking up from his book Harry let out a small sigh, knowing that if he tried to ignore her she would just be louder and keep asking until he gave in.

"They are only required for feasts, there is no dress code for classes with the exception of Herbology where we need to wear protective clothing when handling certain plants."

Despite the fact he wasn't looking at her, Harry could almost _feel_ the frown directed at him. A fact that was confirmed by a mental nudge from Poe telling him he was correct, before she let out a soft caw and drew the girls attention away from him for a moment.

"Why do you have a Raven on your shoulder? I though Wizards and Witches used Owls."

"Yet I have a Raven, proving your theory wrong and therefore pointless to answer."

He heard Hermione huff slightly as she turned away from him.

"You don't need to be so rude all the time you know, I was just trying to make conversation."

"I am aware of that, but honestly have no real desired to get to know anyone. I am perfectly happy with my studies and Poe here, so there is no need for you to try and be my friend. I have been told in the past that it is more trouble than it is worth being my friend, by several people in fact. I am also apparently an antisocial bastard, with a mouth and am a Sociopath."

There was a moment of silence, before Hermione let out a sigh of her own and shook her head.

"You know you have a tendency of either saying very little or way too much?"

"Really, I hadn't noticed."

Before they could say anything else the doors to the classroom were thrown open and Snape came into the room, walking straight for his desk with his robes billowing behind him. He turned to face the now silent classroom with a sneer on his lips, his eyes seeming too instantly find Harry's half lidded bore ones at the back of the room.

Harry was half expecting for the man to try and call him out on his lack of robe, but instead he turned his attention to the whole class and began to speak.

"There will be no foolish wand waving, or silly incantations in this class. As such I doubt many of you will be able to appreciate the art that is Potion making, or grasp its true potential. In this room I can teach you to bewitch the mind and ensnare the senses, I can teach you to bottle fame, brew glory and even put a stopper in _death_. That is assuming you are better than the usual Dunderheads I have to deal with each year, which I highly doubt…"

His words seemed to have the desired effect on the students, having grabbed their attention up until the end.

While the man was been speaking Poe had jumped from his shoulder and landed on the table in front of him, and Harry had started running a finger along her neck idly as he leaned his head on the other hand with his elbow on the desk.

This seemed to drawn Snape's attention, his eyes moving from the Raven to Harry himself several times before staying on Harry.

"Mr Potter, our new… _celebrity_ …"

Harry showed no other sign that he was listening then moving his eyes from Poe to Snape, his eyelids still drooped. This only seemed to get more under the man's skin.

"What is that bird doing in my classroom?"

"There are no rules against her being here, Poe simple wanted to stay with me. Is that a problem?"

Again Harry waited for a moment as the man seemed to be trying to think of a way to get to him by sending Poe out, only for him to take a different route instead. One that the man had no chance of winning.

"Where Mr Potter, would you look if I asked you to find me a bezoar?"

"The stomach of a goat."

The fact that there was no pause between the question and Harry's answer seemed to throw the man off slightly, the fact his voice remained thinly laced with boredom not helping.

"What is the difference between monkshood and wolfsbane?"

"Nothing, they are the same plant."

"What is the key ingredient in the Boil Cure Potion?"

"Horned Slugs"

"What is the brewing duration of the Polyjuice Potion?"

"One Lunar cycle, or a month in layman's terms."

"What is the key ingredient in the Drafted of Living Death?"

"Mandrake Root soaked in water that was used to boil a Belladonna flower."

"What is the brewing duration of the Wolfsbane Potion and how can it be shorted?"

"12 lunar cycles, or one year in simple terms, because it needs to be left in the light of the full moon 12 time. This can be reduced to a period of 12 days by adding one Moonstone each night at midnight every night for the said twelve days, which simulates the 12 full moons it needs to mature."

By this point every head in the classroom was moving back and forth between the two of them, mouths getting lower and lower by the second. He could see Hermione flicking through her Potions book rapidly with a confused expression on her face, looking for the answers. But Harry knew for a fact that the last three questions were not in there.

Two had been a level 3 and the last was level four.

He wasn't sure if Snape was testing him or just trying to catch him out on a question, but after the last question he seemed too shocked to think of any more to ask him.

Without another word Snape turned away from harry and waved his wand at the backboard, the instructions for the Boil Cure Potion appearing in white chalk.

"You will have until the end of the lesson to complete the potion on the board, try not to melt your cauldrons before then."

The rest of Potions had been quite for Harry, the other students busy concentrating while Snape kept sending him odd looks as if unsure what to think.

After practising so much before even arriving at Hogwarts, the Boil Cure Potion was nothing to him and he was able to brew it without even paying attention. This turned out to be a good thing because it meant that when Neville added his ingredients in the wrong order and almost blow up his cauldron, Harry was about to stop it before it got any worse.

A bastard he may be, but Harry wasn't going to do nothing and let the guy get covered in boils because he didn't know what he was doing. Especially when he was in the paternal splash zone, even if he had Hermione as a buffer between them.

He had also seen Hermione working to try and keep up with him, her eyes darting from her own potion to his regularly. But it wasn't too bad seeing as he doubted the girl had practiced before class beyond her book, but still nowhere near to his own level. Hopefully she would learn quickly not to compete with him, he didn't want a repeat of… _that_ incident.

He finished his potion with time to spear, poring some into a size 2 vial and taking it to the front of the class. Snape took one look at it and frowned, before telling him to clean his cauldron and leave.

Harry didn't wait to be told twice.

XXX

After History of Magic Harry had come to the conclusion that he was going to learn nothing from attending the class, and his time would be better spent doing almost _anything_ else. The ghost teaching it, Professor Binns, had only repeated word for word the exact paragraphs in the first year history book for the entire lesson.

Most of the class had fallen asleep listening to his dull droning voice, and the few that stayed awake like himself had looked bored to tears. In fact not one first year from Gryffindor had been able to stay awake and besides him there were two Slytherins, a blonde girl named Daphne and a black boy named Blaise who had remained conscious.

Though at least that Draco prat didn't try and approach him again, seeming to be keeping his distance for the moment. He was however forced to listen to a red headed Gryffindor boy named Ron talked about the Wizard sport Quidditch until he fell asleep, followed by his loud snoring.

After the first twenty minutes Harry had pulled a book out and started reading, seeing no point in listening to a ghost repeat the words from a book he had already read.

At least he had Transfiguration to look forward too next, even if the subject seemed to have little to no use in real life it would be fascinating to learn.

He somehow ended up with Hermione tagging along with him when he left the Great Hall to make his way to the classroom, though at least the girl seemed to be learning not to talk his ear off about stupid things by this point. Instead of telling him about what she knew from reading the books on Transfiguration, she asked him about several things she wasn't sure about.

It seemed to him the girl had given up trying to compete with him after seeing him in Potions, which was for the best because Harry had seen people try before and it never ended well. One time in particular still haunted him, and was part of the reason Harry kept people distant. Now she was trying to use him as a sound board to help herself, something he didn't actually mind so long as she didn't do it while he was reading.

She was actually in the middle of asking him a question as they walked into the room, both taking a seat near the front of the class and not noticing the cat sat on the front desk watching them intently.

"I still don't understand why size always needs to be considered before a transfiguration, the books I read didn't really go into much detail so I assumed it is covered in a later year?"

"You're right it is covered briefly in the second year curriculum, along with explaining why it is pointless to transfigure food from other objects. The reason you need to consider size before a transfiguration is because you can only 'stretch' the object you are changing so much, before it is unable to get any bigger. For example you can change a matchstick into a pin because they are the same size, but if you tried to turn it into say a chair, it wouldn't work because the object is too small."

"But then what if you worked your way up? Turn say a chair into something slightly bigger, then change it again and again until it is the size you want?"

"It still wouldn't work because you still only have the matter that makes up the chair to begin with to work from regardless of the size you change it to. You could think of it as an elastic band, you can only stretch it so far, before it either snaps back to normal size or breaks. You can however do it the other way, making an object smaller than its original size."

"I guess that makes sense…the more strain you put on the object, the more it will fight the spell."

"Correct however in a contradiction to this, there are spell based in charms that _can_ affect the size of an object without limits. But if you were to enlarge an object then attempt to transfigure it into something else, it can react very violently if not performed in the correct way. Though the exact reason is unknown, it is considered the main distinction that proves that not all magic works the same."

After that the two moved to pulled out there books and some parchment, getting ready for class before McGonagall arrived. It was also however while he was doing this, that Harry took notice of the tabby cat staring at him. Narrowing his eyes as Poe shifted slightly on his shoulder, Harry tilted his head to the side slightly as he examined the feline before a small smirk crossed his lips.

"Hello Professor, I almost didn't recognise you in that form."

"Harry who are you-whoa!"

Hermione was cut of mid-sentence when the cat jumped off of the desk and changed into McGonagall mid-air, the older witch landing on her feet gracefully before moving to stand in front of their desk.

Her face had an expression of curiosity and slight confusion as she looked at Harry, as trying to understand something.

"Well done for noticing me Mr Potter, if you were in any of the four houses I would have awarded you 20 points. However I must ask how you were able to do such a fine job of explaining a second bordering on third year subject to Miss Granger?"

His face still set in its usual bored expression, Harry shrugged and pulled another book out of his bag and handed it to McGonagall who accepted it without question. It was about two seconds later when she looked at the title that her eyes widened slightly, before turning to face him again with a frown.

"Why exactly do you have a level 3 Transfiguration book, Mr Potter?"

"Because I brought it along with several others while at Diagon Alley, and after reading the Level 1 and 2 it seemed like the next logical step."

"And you understood it all?"

"Yes. While the idea of converting one object to another seemed an impossibility to me at first I soon found the subject interesting, Transfiguration while limited in its uses outside of most field has its uses. Once I understood the base concept of the magic itself, the spells and terminology was simple enough to follow."

For a moment the Professor seemed to be debating something inside her own head, before handing him the book back.

"Indeed…we will see if you are as skilled in practice as you appear to be in theory, Mr Potter."

Without another word McGonagall turned to address the whole class, a wave of her wand sending a matchstick floating to land on the tables in front of them from her desk as she spoke.

"Transfiguration is a complicated subject, and can be very dangerous if use improperly. I will only give you one warning that if I see any students misbehaving in my class, you will be out of it altogether. Do I make myself clear?"

She waited a moment for them all to acknowledge her statement, before continuing.

"Now I am assuming that all of you have at least read the first two chapters of your Transfiguration books by now, which would explain the matchstick currently sitting in front of you. By the end of this lesson I expect you all to have been able to make at least some progress into turning your match into a needle."

She then went into a brief explanation of the wand movements and how to pronounce the spell properly, answering any question asked before motioning them to try the spell.

Harry could only sigh in boredom, having already practiced everything from the first year book. Most of the first year at Hogwarts seemed to be most built on theoretical learning with a few spells to get them use to casting. This meant there wasn't much to practice and Harry had been able to practice most of the spells he would be learning that year.

Muttering the spell and waving his wand in the movements they were told, the matchstick on the desk in front of him turned into a perfect needle on the first try. Ignoring the gasp from his right that Hermione gave of when she saw this, Harry opened his Transfiguration Level 3 book and started reading.

Unfortunately this only lasted for less than a minute before McGonagall returned after hearing Hermione gasp, the stern woman frowning slightly at the sight of the needle in front of him. With a wave of her wand it returned to a matchstick, and her voice cut across his reading and forced him to pay attention to what she was saying.

"Mr Potter please repeat the spell, I would like to see you cast it with my own eyes."

Shrugging Harry pointed his wand at the match again and without putting his book down or looking at the small piece of wood cast the spell, the match once again turning into a perfect needle.

This only seemed to cause McGonagall's frown to deepen slightly.

"You have done this spell before, haven't you Mr Potter"

"You gave us two day before classes started, I spent half of the first day wandering the castle, and the rest practicing."

"I see…and just how many spells have you 'practiced'?"

"I have almost finished the first year spell work, seeing as most of it is theoretical there wasn't much to practice. Second year should also not take long as it is again mostly theoretical, but third year will probably take more time as that is where we really start to lean more to the practical aspects of spell work."

He gave another small shrug, his voice remaining the same flat tone the whole time. Harry did take note of McGonagall's slightly shocked expression before it was hidden again behind her usual stern face, though her eyes still could not hid her reaction. It was the same reaction his teachers usually gave when they started to realise he wasn't a norm kid, a mix of shock and slight wonder.

He had to give the old witch credit though, she was better at hiding it then most.

Clearing her throat slightly, McGonagall seemed to shake her reaction off completely.

"I see…Mr Potter I think I will need to have a meeting with you at the end of the week, please come to my office Saturday morning at 10am. For now you may either continue to read or help your fellow students until the end of the lesson."

Nodding absently as he turned his full attention back to his book, Harry spent the rest of the lesson reading about how to change a trunk into a desk.

XXX

It was quickly becoming obvious to Harry by the end of the day that Wizard school held almost as much use to him as Muggle School, and was already getting bored. He was learning more on his own than in classes, and it seemed the Professors didn't know what to do with him.

Potions was ok even if Snape seemed to have something personal against him, because he found the process relaxing and it was a good way to sneak a bottle or two of whatever potion he brew for his personal stores. He would still make other more advanced Potions in his own Lab, but either way it was still good practice.

He had already decided that he was never going to set foot in another History of Magic class that involved Professor Binns, it was a waste of time and the ghost didn't even bother to take names at the start of class so he doubted he would be missed.

Transfiguration wasn't looking all that promising, though he did wonder what McGonagall wanted to speak with him about at the end of the week. If nothing else she had defiantly noticed he was different, and though stern Harry thought she might have realised why he seemed so bored. At least she allowed him to read after he finished the lesson early, even if she had clearly wanted him to help the others in the class.

Herbology was much the same, though Professor Sprout seemed unaware of him as of yet for the most part. He didn't try to answer any of her questions and the lesson had been a simple introduction and explanation of the sort of plants they would be working with that year, though he had notice Neville come out of his shell a little while talking about plants. The shy boy had even answered several questions, all correctly throughout the lesson.

In fact Harry wondered if the boy might have a better knowledge base of the subject as he did himself. The boy clearly had years of experience with plants before even coming to Hogwarts, and Harry had seen the light in his eyes when he answered questions.

He wasn't sure what to think of Charms yet, though it had more potential than the other classes he had been to so far. Like in Transfiguration Flitwick had given them a short speak about the dangers, before setting them to do a spell and watching them work after explaining it in more detail then the book gave.

It had only been a simple Colour Changing Charm, and Harry had once again finished it on his first try much to the joy of the short Professor and changed his red hat to blue before turning it back to normal. However instead of asking him to help the other students or simple letting Harry read his book, Flitwick had started asking him to do other spells. By the end of the lesson the man was practically bouncing on his stack of books, a large smile on his face.

Yet at the same time he was able to help any other students that needed or asked for it, proving that he was a very good teacher.

By the time he had finished his classes for the day and sat down for dinner at his table, word seemed to have spread throughout the entire school that he was some kind of prodigy. Personally Harry had never liked the word, never seeing a point in labelling himself just because he was smarter than other people.

He had met several _supposed_ prodigies throughout his Muggle education, and found the only real use he had for them was the fun he had in braking them down. Sure there had been one or two that had been ahead of him, but they had also been adults and had more years' experience over him. Even then they had still seen that he would surpass them before long, and most had not seemed happy about it at all.

Either way the rumour seemed to have only increased the stares, something that until he looked up and saw all the faces turning away from him quickly had had not thought possible. That wasn't even including the people that didn't even bother to look away and continued to stare at him when he looked there way, much to his annoyance. He had even seen the Professors sending him looks, leaning over to the person next to them and whispering.

It was like primary school, followed by every other school when he first started, all over again.

He also didn't miss the smile Dumbledore sent him, but ignored it for the most part in favour of his steak. By the end of dinner Harry practically ran out of the Great Hall to get away from all the eyes and whispers, a deep frown on his face.

However before he could get to his tower Harry heard two sets of footsteps following him, but when he turned to look saw no one was there.

Eyes narrowing Harry focused for a moment to try and send Poe a mental nudge, and a moment later the Raven flew over and perched on the helmet of a suit of armour to his right as Harry carried on walking around a corner before stopping and waited.

" _Caw!"_

" _Holy-!"_

" _-Shit!"_

Turns out he didn't need to wait long, because not five seconds later the sound of Poe flying at whoever was following him reached his ears followed shortly by a pair of oddly identical voices swearing loudly.

Lifting his arm so that it was visible around the corner, nodded his thanks to Poe as she landed on it before stepping out to face his stalkers with a bored expression on his face. Only to have to fight to keep the smirk away at the sight a the twin red headed boys trying to clean off the Raven shit from their faces, who looked to be about a year or two older then Harry himself.

He waited for them to notice his presence, but when they continued to be oblivious cleared his throat. Both boys turned to look at him with expressions that made Harry think of a dear caught in the headlights, forgetting about the bird shit for a moment.

"Why are you following me?"

To both boys credit, they were able to quickly recover from there moment of shock and place rather large grins on their faces. Forgetting the shit completely, one of the boys stepped forward at the same time as his brother and held out a hand for Harry to shack. He idly wondered if they had practiced the gesture, because it was done in complete sincerity.

He made no move to take either of the offered hands, and simple starred at them as they started talking, switching from one to the other.

"Hi, this is Fred."

"And he's George."

"It's a pleasure to meet you"

"And your little shit throwing friend, who has remarkable aim by the way."

"Almost perfect in fact, and we didn't even see her until she was flying over our head."

"Not a good moment to look up, as I am sure you can see."

Harry blinked for a moment, unsure of what to think of the two. Poe puffed up with pride on his shoulder, apparently liking the strange compliments.

"Why were you following me?"

Finally seeming to realise that he wasn't going to shake their hands, both once again moved at the same time a stood up straight. Only for them to bow at the waist slightly, there grins taking on a distinctly mischievous tone.

"As we were saying before, he's Fred"

"And he's George"

"We're known throughout Hogwarts"

"Despite only being in our third year might I add?"

"As the Red Headed Terrors!"

At his still bored look, they straightened and gave a small shrug.

"Basically"

"We like to Prank people"

"All people"

"Any people"

"As much as possible"

Letting out a sigh, Harry decided to try one more time before simple walking away from the twins.

"I will say this one more time, why the bloody hell are you fucking following me?"

"Well it's quite simple really"

"You see my dear brother and I have always been very good at judging people"

"Assessing if they are worth pranking or not you know"

"And you stand out for several reasons as someone not to prank"

"So after talking it over with each other"

"We decided"

"That if we aren't going to prank you, we would ask you to join us"

"In the noblest art of mayhem and chaos"

"Commonly known as pranking."

As odd as it must have look, Harry couldn't help to turn to share a look with Poe for a moment before returning his attention to the twins.

"…you want me to join you in pranking people?"

"Of course!"

"You could be our apprentice of mayhem"

"A fellow agent of chaos and enemy of order!"

Harry wasn't sure why, but there word seemed to be striking a cord in his head.

"Why?"

At this question both boys lost their mischievous grins, having them replaced with matching looks of confusion as they looked at each other as if not sure themselves.

"You know I don't really know why…"

"Just seemed like a good idea at the time, your know something fun."

The moment didn't last long, and when it was gone the grins were back and larger than ever.

"So what do you say?"

"Think you can keep up with the masters?"

Once again they offered him there hands, and Harry seriously considered there offer for a moment before taking them at the same time.

Maybe this would be a new way of releasing the boredom?

XXX

 **And so the unholy alliance between Harry and the Weasley Twins is born! May whatever god/goddess watching over Hogwarts have mercy on my soul. D**

 **For now Ron will not really have any big part in this fic. As Harry is not in Gryffindor and they did not meet on the train, Harry and Ron did not really have any time to get to know each other. He may play a bigger part in it later, but for now he is mostly just a background character.**

 **Hope you like the chapter, let me know what you think:)**


	5. Test

**Harry will not be pulling any pranks straight away, though he may help the twins on a few. He is going to take his time and plan out something big, which will also give me time to think of something really good :)**

 **I have a few ideas already, but want to wait until they fit into the storyline instead of just throwing them in where it doesn't make sense.**

 **The start of this chapter is more from Dumbledore's POV, and will explain a little more about his character in this fic. Remember I already said he will not me a bastard or evil in this fic, so if you don't like it don't read.**

 **There will be parts written from others POV's from time to time, though it will also be split between harry and one other though not until later in the fic.**

 **Enjoy :)**

XXX

 **Disclaimer: I own nothing :(**

XXX

Chapter 5- Test

XXX

Dumbledore sat at the head of the table with his fellow Professors sat before him, with a smile on his face and a Lemon Drop in his mouth. It was the night of the first day of lessons, and as they did every year they had gathered for a staff meeting to discuss anything that may have come up Normally they would meet once a week on a Sunday, but as it was the beginning of the year Dumbledore like to have an extra meeting to make sure they were able to discuss everything that needed to be discussed.

Like every year, they started with the 7th years and worked their way down.

Though honestly Dumbledore already knew what, or rather _who_ they would be discussing when they arrived at the 1st years.

The old Wizard was not too proud to admit he had made a mistake by sending young Harry to live with his aunt, even though he had had the best intentions at the time. Not only were there the Blood Wards to consider, but the fact remained that with his godfather in Azkaban and Godmother a resident in the Permanent Care Ward at St Mungo's there was simple nowhere else for the boy to go.

Of course there were plenty of families that would have gladly taken him in, but even then for the first three years after the fall of Voldemort Death Eaters had still been a very real threat to both Harry and every other wizard. Then there was his fame to be taken into account, no boy should grow up with something like that hanging over his head.

No at the time his aunt had seemed like the best option, and he had foolishly believed that the fact they were family would be enough to trust her and her family with his care.

However those thoughts had been destroyed the day Hagrid came to him after meeting the boy, shouting in a rage that had actually worried Dumbledore about how the 'stupid Muggle's had locked Harry in a cupboard'. He was also a little ashamed to have actually brushed the idea off at the time as Hagrid having had too much to drink again, as the half giant was known to do from time to time.

But when Minerva, one of his oldest and most trusted friends returned the day after saying the same thing it had hit him hard. Dumbledore had actually taken the time to Apparate to Privet Drive and see it with his own two eye, and after waiting for the family to sleep had spent an hour wondering the house.

The sight of that cupboard would weigh heavily on his heart for many years to come, he was sure.

But it also had only created a desire in him to learn more about the boy he had unknowingly condemned, which led him to look into Harry's Muggle school records. What he had found was…incredible.

At the age of 10 almost 11, Harry Potter was making plans to go to University! The boy was a genius, perfect scores in every test he had ever taken and an IQ that apparently couldn't be accurately measured.

He excelled at everything he did without effort, but that was also the problem.

Dumbledore remembered what it was like for him in his youth when he was considered a genius, though not even close to the same level as Harry. Things had been so dull for him, most everything came so easy that it was hard to get excited about anything.

According to the files he had…borrowed from the Muggle schools, Harry was completely unmotivated. One file even diagnosed the boy as a Sociopath, unable to understand many basic human emotions with little to no desire to change it. While rarely violent, the boy had a sharp tongue and a short fuse. He cared nothing for manners and had no filter between his brain and his mouth that would get him in trouble regularly.

Honestly the boy remained him of an even more brilliant version of himself when he was young, but with more of a mouth. A fact he had seen and heard for himself on that night the boy was in his office and actually had the nerve to berate the heads of house and he himself, talking to them as if they were the children.

Shaking the thoughts from his mind for the moment, Dumbledore tuned back in just in time to hear Minerva say the words he was expecting to hear.

"Albus I am afraid we may have a problem with Harry Potter, one that must be addressed as soon as possible."

Her statement got several mutters of agreement from the other teachers that had taught the boy that day, even Snape much the old wizard's surprise. It also however got several confused looked from the ones that had not met the boy yet, and with a small frown on her face Professor Sinistra spoke.

"What is wrong with the boy? From what I have seen he seems normal enough, if a little quite. While his Sorting may have been a little…odd, I see no reason for concern."

It was Snape that answered, and in a rather emotionless tone that shocked those that had heard his thoughts on the boy leading up to the start of the year.

"He is too advanced for a first year, possibly even for a second year. He was able to answer question that are from the 5th year curriculum without batting an eyes, and from what I observed in the lesson I taught him his Potion Brewing skills are excellent and far above what he should be for his age."

His words got a narrowing of the eyes from Minerva, who sent the younger man a frown across the table.

"And what were you doing asking a 1st year 5th year questions Severus?"

Snape didn't even bat an eye at the question, though he did return the scowl.

"I started off with simple questions, but when he had no trouble tried harder ones in an attempt to trip him up. The boy was able to tell me the process involved for shortening the brewing time for the Wolfsbane Potion without a second between my asking and his answer."

It was hear Filius decided to add his own thought to the conversation, before Severus and Minerva could start their usual arguing.

"It was the same when I had him for Charms. He did the spell on the first try, along with all the others I asked him to demonstrate throughout the lesson. I have never seen a student take to magic so quickly, it is truly amazing!"

He watched as Minerva gave a small sigh, before nodding her own head in agreement.

"Again the same in my own lesson, he was even explaining advanced material to another student as they arrived and was able to recognise me while in my cat form. He was able to turn his matchstick into a needle on the first try without effort, and several times after when I asked him to do it in front of me. The boy is just… _too good._ "

Popping another Lemon Drop into his mouth, Albus hummed in thought as he listened to their words confirming what he already knew.

It seemed something would need to be done about Harry Potter, and soon before he grew bored and tried to teach himself and did something dangerous in an attempt to find a challenge. Albus himself still had a scare on his left arm from when he had done that very thing in his youth, trying to find something that interest him enough to relieve the boredom.

XXX

As Harry led the way towards his room with Fred and George following behind him, he soon came to a very simple conclusion based off of the stories the two were telling him about some of their past pranks. It was something he had picked up on while listening to them talk, the detail that went into some of their pranks, and something he doubted many if any of the Professors had realised.

They were a _lot_ smarter then they pretended to be, not on his level of course but geniuses in their own way and right. Just listening about some of the potions or spells they used told him they had knowledge at least two years above their year, and understood everything on a level that impressed him.

By their second year the two were brewing 'joke' potions that he had read about in his Grade 4 Potion book, and the oddest part was Harry wasn't sure they even realised that they had studied ahead. They seemed to have no motivation to achieve academically and had loudly said how boring they found lessons, yet when it came a prank he could see actual _fire_ in their eyes.

It made him wonder what they would be able to do with an actual Potions Lab, and ingredients on hand that they didn't need to steel from Snape's cupboards.

In a way, it was a glimpse into what he could have been. They were like him, if to a lesser degree. Bored with school and the lack of a challenge in life, they had turned to Pranks as a way to relieve the boredom.

In some way, Harry envied them.

But at the same time, he had a feeling that he would actually be able to get along with the two

Based on the nudge in his mind, Poe seemed to agree with him. Though it may have had something to do with the two complimenting her before, he learned that his Familiar had a bit of a vain side to her.

"So where exactly did Dumbledore end up putting you anyway?"

"Yeah after the Sorting no one knows where you sleep."

Without pausing in his step or turning to look at the two, Harry carried on without taking his shortcut.

"A tower in the North-West of the castle, I'm staying in an old classroom."

"Cool"

"That means no one to snitch on you if you decide to set something up in the night."

Before Harry could think of a response to that, arrived at the door to his room. Quickly unlocking the door, he motioned for the twins to go in before following them and closing it behind him again. He watched with his back to the wall as the twins looked around the all but empty room, before their eyes moved to the large trunk placed in the middle.

"Is that what I think it is Fred?"

"I think it is George"

They both moved to inspect the trunk more closely, wands in hand and talking back and forth constantly.

"A high quality, Class 5 with seven separate compartments"

"All fit into the one space, expanded and possibly customised rooms in each"

"Password locked, each with a separate password"

"Spelled so that only the owner or a House Elf can move it, and only under set circumstances"

"Fire Resistance Charm, Water Resistant Charm, Blunt Impact Cushioning Charm-"

"-don't forget the Banshee Scream Alarm Charm cast on each lock and the lid"

"Of course, there also seems to be a Stunning Rune carved into the handles so that if anyone not supposed to tries to take it they will be knocked out"

"Indeed, then there is the Strengthening Charm applied to the wood itself, which seems to have been treated to be magic resistant on the outside?"

"Yes, recognised the colouring that the wood has taken from being soaked in the potion."

Turning back to face him with smirks on their faces, the twins stood back up and stepped away from the trunk and motion for him to carry on.

"I must say Harry, you know how to travel in style."

"Of course we could probably break through the protections in about…a year at most. Our older brother Bill is a Curse Breaker."

"He taught us a few things"

"Not that he realised at the time of course."

Harry couldn't help it, and soon found himself smirking along with the twins and Poe flew over and landed on her perch beside the trunk.

He was starting to like these two, they definitely weren't boring.

XXX

The rest of the week went by slowly for Harry, classes were getting more and more boring by the day.

Defence Against the Dark Arts had been a major disappointment, Professor Quirrell was worse than Binns. Not only did he only parrot what the book said, he did it with a stutter that made it almost impossible to understand him. He reeked of garlic and jumped if a chair squeaked too loudly, something that several students seemed to have noticed and took great joy in shifting in ways ensure there was a sound.

On top of all of that, there was something…off about the man. Harry couldn't put his finger on it, but then again he never really saw the point in trying to understand people. All he knew was that he didn't like Quirrell, and that was all he needed to know.

His only relief he had from the boredom of school was when he practiced alone, or when the Twins came to talk (Plot) and even showed him some potions he hadn't found in his books. It was an odd experience, people actually being able to teach him something that he didn't already know. But having said that leaning how to make a potion that made a person's bones and teeth glow neon green strong enough to show through the skin when they were in the dark wasn't really all that useful, even if it was fascinating.

For the most part he left the two to their own devises, giving them free rein of his lab and supplies and acting as a soundboard when they wanted a different opinion. It was the last arrangement that saw the entire staff table having their hair turn pink instead of just Snape, after he pointed out that to single the man out was not a prank but a cruel joke at his expense. They had thought over his point for over an hour before finally agreeing with him, though they did not look happy about it.

He had also somehow set himself up in his classes as the person everyone came to for help when they didn't understand anything, something that he blamed Hermione for because it cut into his reading time when he got bored in lessons. Now instead of keeping his mind active by learning something, he was forced to help other people instead.

It was very annoying, because for some reason it also seemed to give people the impression he cared what they did in their spare time and would try to talk to him. At least he still had his backup plan of telling people to 'Fuck Off!' which still seemed to work like it normally did, on most people at least.

It did however seem to have the advantage of people not staring at him all the time though, the novelty apparently having worn off by Thursday. Some people still stared, but they were more subtle about it now had actually turned away when he caught them.

After leaving the Twins under the ever watchful eye of Poe while they were experimenting, Harry slowly made his way towards McGonagall's office for their scheduled meeting.

He arrived five minutes early, but waited outside the door silently until 10am before pushing the door open without knocking.

Harry's eyes quickly took in the sight of not only McGonagall, but all his current professors and the headmaster himself stood in the room waiting for him, and made sure to show no reaction other than the slight hesitation in his steps was he moved to take the seat he was motioned towards.

"Whatever you're here to blame me for, I didn't do it and even if I did you have no proof I did it. If this is an intervention, you're all a bunch of tools and I _will_ set at least one of you on fire, I'm looking at you Quirrell."

The fact that several people in the room looked like they believed him was almost enough to put a smile on his face, and Quirrell actually jumped and moved to the other side of the room to put more distance between them. There were few things more satisfying than making adults feel ill at ease, especially when it was him doing it.

After a moment of slightly tense silence McGonagall cleared her throat and placed a blank piece of parchment on the desk in front of him, disapproving frown in place as she also places a needle on top of it.

"We would like you to put a drop of your blood on this parchment, Mr Potter. The needle it clean, and you will only need a single drop."

Blinking slowly as he looked from the needle to the gathered professors, Harry leaned back in his seat and crossed his arms over his chest with a small frown.

"Yeah, how can I put this…hell no, you can take your needle and blank parchment and shove it up your wrinkly old a-"

"Mr Potter! Need I remind you not to use such crass language, lest of all in front of us!"

"…arse. You shouldn't interrupt people while they are talking Professor, it's very rude. At least that is what people keep telling me."

Harry was actually surprised to hear the amused snort that escaped Snape's mouth before he was able to supress it, but ignored it in favour of carrying on with what he was saying.

"You call me in here for a private meeting only for me to show up and see ALL the Professors that are currently teaching me and the headmaster, then have the bloody nerve to order me to bleed on a piece of parchment without even telling me _why_? Screw you, screw whatever it is you are trying to do, I have better things to do."

Jumping to his feet, Harry got half way across the room before he was stopped by the sound of Dumbledore's voice.

"It is called the Evaluation Ritual."

Harry didn't turn around to face them, but the fact he didn't take another step towards the door seemed to assure the old headmaster that he was listening.

"It has fallen out of practice in the last one hundred years or so, but when Hogwarts was first founded every student was required to take it upon joining the school and again upon leaving. By adding a drop of blood to the parchment, that naturally holds traces of your magic, the ritual can tell us your true magical proficiency."

Finally turning back to the group, Harry's eyes moved to the parchment with a slightly less bored look then he usually wore.

"So it's the wizard equivalent of an IQ test?"

"Not exactly, but yes."

Walking back over and retaking the seat, he frowned at the parchment but made no move to take the needle.

"Why isn't it still used? Is there a risk or side effects that I should know about?"

"No, nothing of the sort my boy, it was merely removed by the board of governors when it was notice that there was no difference between the results from a Magical born child and a Muggle born child."

This caused him to let out am unamused chuckle, having read all about the supposed 'pureblood superiority'. It sounded like something the old families would not want getting out, risking their image and dilution of power.

"What's the scoring system?"

"The lowest score for someone with confirmed magic is 1, with the average for children your age being either 1 or 2 at the most. The highest recorded was myself at 11 when I scored 4 and at age 17, when I scored 11, though the average was 8 or 9. But the ritual can only be performed twice on a single person."

Harry nodded to himself as he finally picked up the needle, looking it over in the light for a moment as he spoke,

"Makes sense why it was one at the start and end then, best way to evaluate the difference between the two tests if it can only be done twice. You know I have taken Muggle tests for this sort of thing, if not magical in nature?"

"Yes I am aware Harry, I have seen the files with my own eye."

"Then you know it didn't work, they were unable to determine by IQ."

"This test is based purely on what the ritual reads from your blood, it has never fail before."

Letting out a small and shrugging his shoulders, Harry quickly stabbed the end of the index finger on his right hand and let a drop of blood fall onto the paper. It seemed most of the Professors were just as interest as him as they all learned forward slightly, watching was the blood drop was slowly absorbed into the paper. Then five seconds later a writing started to appear in what looked like blood, before several gasps could be heard as it finished.

 _Harry James Potter_

 _5_

 _(Peverell Family)_

The writing had a slightly gothic look to it in Harry's opinion, and under the underlined name was a picture of an odd skeletal winged horse with and under that was what looked like a triangular eye with a vertical slight pupil.

He didn't know what the last part of the parchment meant, but after the brief explanation the number was clear. Looking up at the shocked teachers around him before seeing an equally shocked Dumbledore, Harry sent the man a small smirk and leaned back in his seat again.

"Looks like I beat your record, Headmaster. Now are you going to tell me what the rest of it means?"

XXX

After the Professors had a brief argument in whispers, something that Harry was a little impressed by considering how animated some of them seemed to be in the discussion, Harry was once again taken to the Headmasters office. However this time, it was just him and Dumbledore.

He took the seat in front of the table without waiting for it to be offered or for the old Wizard to take his own behind the desk, his eyes wondering lazily around the room as he waited for Dumbledore to get comfortable.

He shook his head when the headmaster held out a bowel of Lemon Drops, the man himself popping one into his mouth seeming without a thought, before placing the no longer blank parchment on the desk between them.

"I am sure you will have more than a few questions Harry, and I ask for your patients while I attempt to give them to you. So please try and stop yourself from interrupting."

He waited for Harry to give a small nod, before smiling continuing.

"Good, now I think it would be best if we started with what your score means for you now. You see when I myself was tested and was given a 4, I was instantly moved ahead a year, then again shortly after when I overtook those around me again. That was always the purpose of the test you see, to find we…'special' few, and make sure we were given the opportunities we needed to become something above the rest."

"So I am being moved ahead?"

Harry would be lying if he said that didn't sound good to him, he had already gotten through most of the first year curriculum by this point through self-studying.

Dumbledore paused for a moment, before giving a small nod but holding his hand up to stop Harry asking anything else.

"Yes at this point it is inevitable that you move ahead, the Laws of Hogwarts are clear on what is to happen in a situation such as this. However there are a few things we will need to address before anything is finalised. First of all, and I need you to be honest with me Harry, how far along are you?"

"For the most part academically I'm working at a 3rd year level in most of my subjects, having memorised the books. Practically I'm more uneven, having been unable to practice spell work before arriving at Hogwarts. If it involves a wand I am only at a 2nd year level, but in Potions I am already at a beginning 4th year having practiced before coming. I am also at a 3rd year level in Ancient Runes and Arithmancy, both theoretical and practical."

While he hid it well, Harry could see the surprise on Dumbledore's face. Clearly the man had not been expecting him to be so far alone, but was able to recover quickly.

"I see…you have been busy Harry, busier then I or any of the other Professors realised. How long will it take you to become at least 3rd year all round, would you say?"

Harry did some quick calculations in his head, frowning slightly.

"If I put aside everything else while doing it…3 months, but that's only because classes will slow me down."

"And if you were not required to go to every class while you bring yourself up to speed?"

"1 and a half, give or take a week."

Nodding to himself, Dumbledore took a piece of parchment and quickly made a few notes before turning his attention back to Harry.

"I am willing to excuse you from all but Potions, Transfiguration and Charms while you bring yourself to a well-rounded 3rd year level. I am aware that you are ahead in these three still, but until you are ready I would have you acting as a teaching assistant for the others in your year. I am not comfortable completely separating you from your peers, and believe this will be a…acceptable compromise."

While not liking the idea of having to help a bunch of kid even if there were the same age as him, Harry gave a small nod that made the old man smile before popping another Lemon Drop into his mouth.

"Good, no I believe there is the matter of the…Peverell family name to discuss."

Getting to his feet Dumbledore moved over to his bookcase and pulled out a large leather bound book, the cover well-worn with age and covered in a layer of dust. When he placed it on the table and wiped the dust away with his sleeve, Harry was able to read the cover that was written in silver writing.

' _Magical Families of Old_ '

"The Peverell family is, or rather _was_ , one of the oldest Magical families and can be dated back to the time of Merlin himself. Unfortunately they have died out, at least that is what the world was led to believe until the name appeared on that piece of parchment, naming them as your ancestors. There have been many theories over the year about how this happened, I myself was of the opinion that they simple changed their name, which it appears may be correct."

Harry frowned at this, eyes narrowing as the headmaster started to flip through pages.

"If they were one of the old families, why would they change there name?"

"The Peverell Family was well known for many things, not all of them good. They were widely recognised as some of the brightest and best Wizard Kind had to offer, and are directly responsible for the creation of many spells and magical object that we still use to this day. In fact Hogwarts itself would fall into that category."

Looking up for a moment and seeing Harry's raised eyebrow, Dumbledore quickly explained.

"While it is well known that Hogwarts School was the idea of Gryffindor, Slytherin, Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw, what is not widely known is the part that the Peverell family played. They are the ones that built Hogwarts Castle, they are the ones that charmed its protections and they are the ones that wrote the Laws of Hogwarts. While the Four Founders created the school, the Peverell's were the architects that made it possible."

"You keep talking about the 'Laws of Hogwarts', what does that mean?"

"The Laws of Hogwarts are just that, the laws of the school. While there are ways to work around some, such as the Evaluation Ritual being no longer used on every student, others much be upheld. The Laws are tied into the wards themselves, tied to Hogwarts Castle itself even and to disobey them would have unknown consequences. As Headmaster it is part of my responsibility to learn and uphold them all."

"Why is this not in 'Hogwarts: A History' or any other books then, I have both it and several other books and found no reference to the Peverell Family."

Dumbledore seemed to finally find the page he was looking for and turned to book to face Harry, who found himself looking at Peverell name and the same images he had seen appear on the parchment. However there was also an inscription under it in a type Ancient Rune Harry was not yet familiar with, but before he could ask Dumbledore continued.

"It is because Harry, many feared the Peverell Family and still do to this day. Almost every member that carried their blood in their veins was brilliant, powerful, and in many cases dangerous. They were well known for having little morality when it came to their research, caring only for results and their own interests. This created paranoia, fear pushing people to be weary of them."

Harry frowned at the description of his apparent ancestors, finding many similarities already and a lot of things to consider. It was then his eyes once again fell to the page in the book in front of him, or more accurately the images drawn under the family name.

"What do these images mean?"

Leaning over to see what he meant, Harry saw Dumbledore let out a small sigh and lean back in his seat.

"The winged Horse is called a Thestral, and is the Peverell families…sacred animal. Many of the old magical families were known to have similar connections to animals both magical and none. The other however…Harry I would ask you not to look into this symbol for now, not until you are older. It is a symbol connected to something very dangerous, and a truth I fear you are not ready to hear. Please, do not go looking for it, I ask you not as your headmaster, but as someone who knows what it means…and has suffered greatly because of it."

Harry was ready to lay into the man about telling him what to do, but something in his voice made him pause and his eyes to once again narrow at the man. Clearly whatever the symbol meant had something to do with his now discovered heritage, but also seemed to be dangerous. It was a mystery, a very tempting one at that, but maybe it was also one to solve when he was older and better equipped to defend himself.

Frown firmly in place Harry gave a short nod of acceptance, noting the deep sigh and relieved expression Dumbledore gave for later when he did investigate it. He then pointed at the runes instead, seeing no need to voice his question.

"That Harry, is the Peverell family motto. It translates to, ' _The last enemy to defeat…is death'._

XXX

By the time Harry returned to his room he realised something was happening, something that had never happened to him before. He was experiencing Information Overload! Things seemed to move a lot faster in the magical education system then in the Muggle, for one thing it had taken three months before moving him ahead was considered. It had only been a week and they already wanted to move him ahead two years, not that he was complaining.

The first two years were really mostly theoretical with a few spells thrown in, though 2nd year had more practical work it was still mostly theoretical and Harry was able to breeze though it with ease.

But then there was also the thing with the Peverell Family, who he now learned were his ancestors. Harry suspected that Dumbledore had not been telling him everything, but also understood for the moment that there was a reason. He may be an arsehole, but he wasn't an idiot and from what little he had been told the Peverell Family was feared for a reason. Yet at the same time, he had heard the respect the old wizard seemed to have for them. It was very hard for even Harry to understand.

Luckily he wasn't obsessive about learning everything, and was happy to wait and use it for something to keep him from boredom for later when he was older.

Rubbing his head in an attempt to ease his growing headache, Harry walked into his room and made straight for his trunk. Knowing the Twins were still inside from the mental nudge he was given from Poe, Harry kicked the side of it three time to let them know he was there and waited.

It was a system they had worked out a few days ago after the twins had walked in on him brewing a potion and the surprise had led to it blowing up in his face, much to the older boy's amusement and Harry's annoyance. He had given them the password for the Potions Lab, but nothing else.

In some ways Harry wondered if this was what having friends was like. He enjoyed having the twins around, they were good for a laugh and when it came to certain subjects were able to keep up with him better than most. They weren't put off my either his intellect or attitude, and had actually promised that they would pay him back for the ingredients they used when they had the money and were even keeping a detailed list. This meant that they weren't just using him for his resources, like he had first suspected.

Before he could think any more about it, the trunk was thrown open to reveal the grinning face of Fred. For some his face was covered in blue powder, leading Harry to the conclusion that there had been an accident. Not an uncommon occurrence when the twins were experimenting with new ideas, they had a tendency to get a little carried away.

"Harry my man, just in time."

Motioning for him to follow, Fred disappeared back inside the trunk and Harry jumped down after him, foregoing the ladder altogether. He was then dragged to a desk with a cauldron full of bubbling blue potion that smelled like peppermint, with George standing next to it slowly pouring some into small round moulds. There was also a bowl full of bite sized blue balls that looked like sweets, and had the same smell as the potion.

Raising any eyebrow as he looked from the grinning twins, the potion and the sweets Harry smiled as Poe landed on his shoulder.

"I see you've been busy, what are they?"

He watched as Fred leaned over and picked up one of the sweets, holding it up in front of his face and both boys started talking in there unusual way.

"These, my young friend"

"Are the thing that is going to allow us to start paying you back for your kindness."

"You see for some time now my dear brother and I have been planning to start our own Joke shop,"

"But we weren't going to be able to start for another couple of years on account of needing to save up for supplies"

"But with your generous offer of letting us use yours"

"It has pushed our plans forward by years."

This was not news to Harry, the two had told him there long term plan for the future.

"This little blue sweet is our first original invention, observe."

Opening his mouth wide, Fred dropped the sweet into his mouth. Harry's eyebrow still raised waited for something to happen, and after ten second of Fred rolling the sweet around in his mouth it did. With a very loud burp blue bubbles shot out of the teen's mouth, drifting around the room for a moment before popping with the smell of peppermint.

While this was happening George took over explaining for his brother.

"We call them Burples, not quite a joke product but we are planning on selling them the Honeydukes in Hogsmead. The old man is always looking for new products, and they taste like peppermint. With the money we make from them we can start paying you back, and put a little aside for the future."

Nodding his head as Fred finally stopped burping, Harry picked up one of the sweets and to get a closer look.

"I would question the sanity of the mind or minds that came up with such an odd thing, but I already know yours is questionable at best and there are weirder things in the Wizarding World."

"Thank you"

Both teens said at the same time, grins still firmly in place.

Shaking his head at their antics, Harry put the sweet back in the pile before turning his attention to the still bubbling potion.

"Have you thought about different colures and favours, sell them as a mixed bag or something? I really am not in a rush for you to pay me back, you should take your time."

The grins were replaced with actual smiles, and both boys throw an arm around his shoulder and stood on either side of him. This however dislodged Poe from her favourite perch, forcing her to fly back to the wooden one with an angry caw and glare at the red heads.

"You're a good guy Harry, even if you're also a complete arsehole."

"George is right, you're ok. So what did old McGonagall want with you anyway?"

Shrugging them off of him, Harry stepped away with a smirk on his face.

"Oh, it seems I'm being moved ahead a few years. As soon as I even out my knowledge base and take some tests to prove it, I'm being skipped to 3rd year."

The sight of both their faces, eyes wide and mouths open in shock, was hilarious to Harry.

He started counting in his head, and just before he could get to ten both boys snapped out of it with a loud shout of,

"WHAT!?"

XXX

 **Hope you like the chapter, let me know what you think :)**

 **I figured that given the opportunity and resources, the Twins would be able to start up on their business early. After all they must have been planning it before Harry's fourth year.**

 **The Peverell stuff will not come into play until much later in the fic, just because he hears about it does not mean he will instantly want to know everything about them. If he was in Ravenclaw he might have wanted to know everything right away, but for now he will be happy with the idea of looking into it later as he has plenty of things to do in the meantime.**


	6. A Humbling Experience

**For anyone that thinks Harry is progressing too fast, I would like to try and explain a few things. First is that by the time he starts Hogwarts he is already used to learning and understand schooling at a higher level, so a curriculum aimed at kids will not be hard for him to understand even if it is magic.**

 **He also had several weeks to read and practices before starting Hogwarts, even though he could not practice Spells. Potions, Runes and other theoretical knowledge was free for him to learn.**

 **I am planning to have Harry finished with his Hogwarts education by the end of his third year, but that does not mean he will be leaving it straight away. I will say that at this point in time I am not planning on him being the DADA teacher, as I am sure several of you will be thinking.**

 **Also in this chapter you will see that Harry is not all powerful, and while a genius in most things there are still others that escape him.**

 **Enjoy :)**

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 **Disclaimer: I own nothing :(**

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Chapter 6- A Humbling Experience

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The month leading up to Halloween was very busy for Harry, between catching up his practical skills with his theoretical knowledge, acting as a teaching assistant in Potions, Charms and Transfiguration and making sure the Twins didn't blow themselves up. But that was how he liked it. He was busy all the time, his mind had little chance to be bored even if helping the other first years was boring.

The news that he was being moved ahead had spread around the school within a day of the decision being made, a fact Harry strongly suspected the portraits for. It was met with many different reactions, some better than others.

For the most part the other first years seemed to be amazed, with exceptions such as Malfoy who seemed to find it insulting that he wasn't being moved ahead too. Fifth through seventh year were largely indifferent to it, having more things to worry about with exams and such. But it was the second through fourth years that mostly didn't seem to take the news well, especially those in Ravenclaw.

Already Harry would see them bringing books and notes to read while eating in the Great Hall, sending him glances when they thought he wasn't looking. It had apparently been a long time since someone was giving the chance to skip a year, let alone _two_ , and they didn't like the fact it wasn't any of them.

They were trying to compete with him, something Harry found even more annoying than having to help the other first years.

Fred and George had taken his advice and held off on taking their sweets to Honeydukes, perfecting and altering the recipe while testing it on themselves. Harry had asked them why they didn't test it on other people, and the two had been very adamant that they wouldn't want to risk it when they could simple do it themselves.

While he didn't understand the sentiment exactly, he respected there work ethic if nothing else. They did admit that when they had more money saved up they planned on offering people money to be lab rats, but not until they could offer what they thought was a fair price for the risk involved.

They had also decided to try and invent several other sweats to sell to the local shop in the village, taking Harry's advice about not rushing and building up there funds. The current plan was to invent a few no joke products to sell and save up the money, and when they had enough would branch out into joke products.

It didn't hurt that Harry had already expressed his willingness to invest in their future business, both with money and help in future inventions.

Harry was also able to keep Hermione and Neville at arm's length, despite the bushy haired girl's insistence on trying to get to know him. Neville seemed happy to have someone that helped him when he needed it and to talk Herbology with, but Hermione was constantly trying to push. For the most part Harry would ignore her, only answering questions that were relevant to the lesson he was helping in and walking away if she asked anything personal.

The reason _why_ she seemed so determined to get to know him was beyond Harry, he was very aware that he was an arsehole to everyone including her. But for some reason this wasn't enough to get her to back off…or the twins when he thought about it…or Neville…

Maybe he was slipping, it had been a long time since he had been around people his own age.

Shaking the thoughts from his head, Harry refocused on the Charms Lesson he was assisting in as Flitwick explained how to cast the Levitation Charm. It was a decent spell to know, if simplistic. Point your wand, and the object would follow where it pointed.

He sat at the front of the room, waiting to see if anyone would ask for his help.

He saw how many didn't get the wand movement's right, and others that were pronouncing it wrong with a small smirk. He may not have gotten the spell right his first try, but he had been sure to get the movements and words right before even attempting to cast the spell.

If you just tried without practicing at all, it could have…explosive, consequence.

A prime example of this was a Gryffindor boy named Seamus, who had been getting a bit of a reputation for having his spells blow up in his face. He was still missing half his eyebrow after a failed attempt to turn water into rum at dinner the night before, much to the amusement of both Harry and everyone else that had seen it.

Finally his attention was drawn to the sight of one of the feathers near the back of the room starting to float in the air, Hermione pointing her wand at it with a satisfied look on her face. Harry also didn't miss the sour faced expression of Ron Weasley sat a few chairs away from her, but thought nothing of it.

It was about ten seconds later while Flitwick was praising Hermione for getting the spell right, when there was a loud bang and smoke filled the room. Already knowing where he needed to look, Harry's eyes landed on Seamus with his face covered in black soot and his hair pushed back from the explosion.

The feather he had been trying to levitate slowly floated back to the table, burning away seconds after landing.

XXX

Harry never liked Halloween, even before learning it was the night his parents were killed and he was sent to live with the Dursleys. To him he Holiday had been corrupted, like Christmas, into something people used for profit. What did sweets and dressing up have to do with the original purpose of the holiday? Nothing, that's what.

He had actually had higher hopes for the Wizarding World, but that was forgotten the moment he walked into the Grate Hall for the Halloween feast and saw the carved pumpkins floating around with candles in their mouths. The feast itself was filled with overly sweet food, and the pudding was nothing but a sea of sweets and chocolate.

Harry could only shake his head with a frown on his face, the happy chatter of the other students grating on his nerves like sandpaper.

He was ready to call it a night and head up to his room, maybe get a few more hours of studying in before sleeping, when the doors to the Great Hall were thrown open with a loud bang.

"TROLL! IN THE DUNGEON! TROLL IN THE DUNGEON!"

In ran a hysterical Quirrell, eyes wide with fear and arms failing about. He nervous Professor came to a stop in the middle of the room, took three deep breaths before turning his attention to the staff table.

"Thought you ought to know"

Then fell flat on his face, fainting on the spot.

It was almost exactly five second later that the hall broke into complete chaos, students screaming and jumping to their feet, food forgotten. Harry watched on impassively was several Professors attempted to call everyone into order with little success, the growing panic blocking there attempts.

Finally after several minutes passed Dumbledore stood and pointed his wand to his throat, magically increasing the volume of his voice,

"SILENCE!"

The effect was instant, all noise falling quite as the headmaster pulled his wand away from his throat and spoke normally again.

"Everybody please, don't panic. Prefects please lead your House back to your dormitories, Teaching follow me to the dungeon."

Harry wondered if Dumbledore had forgotten that the Slytherin dormitory was in the dungeon, or that there was no Prefect to lead him. But when he saw that it didn't accrue to anyone else as the staff all marched out of the room in search of the Troll, Harry decided not to worry about it. Getting up he stayed to the back of the crowd, in no hurry to get to his room or fight his way through the still panicking students.

He hadn't even made it out of the hall before he felt a hand clamp down on his shoulder, and turned around to see a very pale Neville looking moments away from passing out.

"H-Hermione isn't here, Padma said she was in the girls bathroom crying. She doesn't know about the Troll!"

Frowning and shrugging the boys hand off, Harry stood in place and looked the boy up and down for a moment before speaking.

"Then tell one of the Prefects."

"I did, they wouldn't listen to me. Harry we need to go get her, what if the Troll finds its way out of the dungeon?"

His face still set in a bored expression, Harry shrugged and made to turn away and carry on his way.

"It's not my problem, if she is stupid enough to get in the way of the Troll then so be it."

He was about to step away when his shoulder was once again grabbed and he was turned around forcibly. Harry had just enough time to register the furious expression on Neville's face, before a fist came at him and knocked him over. Staring up at the usually meek boy with a hand over his soon to be black right eye, Harry could only look on with a mixture of shock and confusion as Neville glared down at him.

"I've had enough of you and your bloody pig headedness! You think you're so much better than everyone else because you're smarter, because you understand things better? But you're nothing but an arsehole. Hermione and I have been nothing but nice to you, tried to get to know you and you keep shoving us away. What did we ever do to you that would make you hate us so much, that you would leave Hermione out there with no idea of the danger?"

By the end of his rant, Neville was panting and red in the face with tears falling down his face.

Harry wasn't sure if it was the pain in his eye, the expression on his face or simple the fact that _Neville_ had just punched him, but he found himself taking in each word. In some ways they were more painful than the black eye, and for the first time in many years Harry felt shame for something he had said or done.

Letting out a sigh Harry slowly got to his feet, his right eye closed and already turning black.

"Which bathroom, I don't want to go running in a direction only to find it's the wrong one."

His words seemed to throw Neville for a moment, but the boy quickly recovered and gave a sharp nod.

"Ground floor, west bathroom. It's right next to the entrance to the dungeon."

Nodding, Harry quickly ran from the now empty Great Hall, Neville trailing at his ankles the whole way.

"AAAHHH!"

They had just reached the corridor to the bathroom when the scream reached them, Harry's eyes widening slightly for a moment before they narrowed and he ran even faster to reach the broken down door at the end. He was able to see the large form of the Troll through the door, but it blocked out everything else and Harry quickly shouted over his shoulder to Neville.

"I'll lead it away, you get Hermione and find the Professors!"

Without waiting for a reply Harry burst into the room, taking in the terrified form of Hermione crouching under a sink with the Troll raising a club preparing to crush her.

In the span of two seconds Harry went through every spell he currently knew, realising that he had nothing that would be able to stop the giant magical creature. He did however now a few that would get its attention away from Hermione and onto him.

Pointing his wand at the Trolls arse, Harry put as much powering into the Stinging Hex as he could. The result jarred his arm slightly, and sent a football sized red curse flying at the creature.

The moment the Hex hit, the Troll let out a loud yell own pain and rage, dropping its club as its back arched slightly. The pain only lasted a moment though, the magic resistant hide of the Troll negating the worst of the damage and leaving it very angry as it turned to look down at Harry.

Not that he could blame the creature, he did just hit it with an overpowered Stinging Hex in the arse.

It seemed to observe him for a moment, grabbing its club from the ground as its small angry eyes glared at him and slime dripped from its mouth. Harry took a step back, and as if it was a silent signal the Troll released another yell and started charging at him. Harry didn't wait to see if Neville got to Hermione, and simple turned around and started running as fast as he could in the opposite direction to the Troll.

While slow, the Troll was able to keep quickly catch up with Harry as he reached the end of the hall thanks to its larger steps. Harry was forced to jump around a corner to avoid the swing aimed at him, rolling back to his feet and looking over his shoulder just in time to see the Troll run straight into the wall. It was then he realised that while faster then him, the Troll couldn't navigate corner very well while running.

With this thought in mind Harry started to run again, wanting as much distance between himself and the giant creature before it got back up as possible. It soon caught up to him, and once again Harry changed direction and took a side corridor. The Troll missed the turn and skidded passed, but soon came back screaming in frustration and swinging its club randomly.

This carried on for some time, Harry having no idea where he was going as he took random turns trying to lose the Troll. They left a clear path of destruction behind them, one that Harry knew would be enough to lead the Professors to him when Neville found them.

Taking another corner and actually _feel_ the wind the club generated as it passed moving his hair, Harry could only hope that they found him before the Troll got a lucky hit.

Just as he was starting to get tired Harry recognised the corridor he was running through, and quickly making a decision took another turn and soon came running into the Great Hall. He flattened himself against the wall to the left of the door, panting heavily and hair stuck to his forehead with sweat.

A moment later the Troll came barrelling in, sending two of the house tables flying with a swing of its club before coming to a stop in the middle of the room. It looked around in confusion, trying to understand where Harry had gone, before slowly turning around and seeing him. Harry wanted to move, but his body had apparently reached its limit and instead of getting up he slid down the wall slowly, sitting on the floor.

The Troll limited as its brain was, seemed to realise that he wasn't able to run anymore. It gave roar of victory, before slowly walking over to him, club dragging on the ground behind it and filling the air with a grinding noise.

However before it got more than four steps a black shape came flying through the doors, heading straight for the Trolls head.

" _Caw!_ "

Harry was able to recognise Poe after a moment, his Raven Familiar clawing and pecking at the Trolls eyes and face in an attempt to blind it. But the small bird was little more than an annoyance to the thick skinned creature, and she was unable to get a clear shot at its eyes as he started moving around trying to knock her away.

"Bombarda!"

"Confringo!"

Two spells came from outside the door next to Harry, Poe flying away just in time to avoid them as they both slammed into the Trolls chest. The first seemed to simple slam into it with the force of a car, pushing it slightly off balance and causing it to drop its club, the tree sized weapon hitting the ground heavily.

The second hit the same spot on its chest as the first a second later, but not able hit with enough force to knock the Troll off its feet, also caused a small explosion that set its leotard on fire.

Harry watched in confusion as Fred and George came running into the Hall, Wands pointed at the Troll and serious expressions on their faces.

"Hey Harry, thought you could hog all the fun to yourself and leave us out did you?"

"Just as well Poe come and got us in time, you look like shit."

Letting out a slightly wheezing laugh between his pants, Harry shifted slightly as Poe landed on his knee so he could send the twins a genuine smile.

"Sorry about that, didn't have time to get you. Neville was very insistent we find Hermione, which we did just as big and ugly over there found her."

Both teens nodded their understanding of what had happened, before moving to stand in between Harry and the Troll as he got back to its feet.

"Fair enough mate, now just stay back"

"And let the masters do their thing!"

Harry watched as the twins charged forward, casting spells constantly and moving around in such a way to confuse the Troll. They worked in a very impressive sincerity not unlike everything else they did, but now it had a dangerous edge to it. While one took time to power up a spell, the other would be peppering the Troll with weaker ones to distract it.

When it got too close, the Twins showed a surprising amount of agility and would someone's even _flip_ out of the way. At one point Fred had even used George's back as a springboard, flipping over the Trolls head completely and hitting it with three spells before landing in a crouch behind it and rolling away to put distance between them.

There movements reminded Harry of Parkour, a Muggle trend that he had seen before coming to Hogwarts.

Unfortunately it soon became clear to Harry that despite the number of spells they sent at the Troll, none did it any real damage. Its skin was too thick, and there spells were simple not strong enough. It was as he realised this that Harry noticed that the Trolls club was still lying on the ground where it had dropped it before, spider web cracks in the floor around it.

Frowning Harry acted without thinking, pointed his wand at the club and shouted the spell loud enough to draw the twin's attention.

"Wingardium Leviosa!"

He sent the club flying across the room straight at the Trolls, Fred and George rolling out of the way at the last moment. The Troll had enough time to turn and its eyes to widen, before the club smacked into its face with the sound of breaking bones filled the air. Harry let go of the spell and the club fell to the ground, the Troll swaying for a moment with its face crushed into pulp, before falling forward onto what was left of its face.

The marble floor splintered around it, the Troll shuddered before falling completely still.

For a moment after that the only sound in the room came from Harry and the twin's heavy breathing, the two red heads slowly making their way around the Troll and sitting on either side of him on the floor. He didn't really know what to say to them, so for a while the three simple sat with their wands still pointing at the possibly dead Troll just in case it suddenly moved.

Finally after finally regaining his breath, Harry looked from one to the other with a small smirk on his face.

"I take it back, your sanity is not in question anymore. You two are both insane!"

This got a bark of laughter from both boys, who seemed to relax a little more as Fred grabbed his shoulder and shook him slightly.

"What does that make you? We came to save your sorry arse, remember? Nice shiner by the way"

Wincing slightly at the reminder, Harry shook his head and lightly bagged it against the wall behind him.

"Yeah had some sense knocked into me, surprised it didn't happen soon to be honest…"

They laughed again at that, before falling into a surprisingly comfortable silence.

Harry wasn't sure what to make of anything that had happened tonight, between Neville punching him in the face, drawing a Troll away from Hermione only to be saved by the twins and his familiar, he was both mentally and physically exhausted.

Why would Neville come to him for help? Why did the twins save?

These were question he couldn't answer.

Sure he helped Neville in class from time to time, be he had never said a nice word to the guy as was a general arse. He was on better terms with Fred and George, but he had thought it was more a business arrangement then an actual friendship. He let them use his potions lab, they showed him a few tricks and promised to cut him in on their eventual profit.

However as far as he knew, business associates didn't fight a Troll for you.

...did Harry have actual _friends_? That seemed like the sort of thing he should have noticed sooner.

It was as these thoughts were going through his head that the Professors finally arrived, Dumbledore in with his wand pointed forward and McGonagall only a step behind him and Neville and Hermione bringing up the rear. They all froze at the sight of the seemingly dead Troll laying in the middle of the Great Hall, having not noticed the three of them sitting on the floor next to the door.

Running over to the fallen Troll, her wand never lowering an inch, McGonagall paled as she cast spells quickly before shaking her head and all the Professors slowly put away their wands.

"What happened here? How did it even find its way to the Great Hall? If the students had still been here this could have been a disaster!"

"Hey I was sort of busy running to think that far ahead, the bloody Troll was pissed I hit him with a Stinging Hex in the arse and wouldn't leave me alone."

As one the group turned to see the Harry and the twins, Poe still perched on his knee and giving a small caw at the attention.

"Mr Potter!"

McGonagall ran over with her wand once again in hand and pointed at his black eye, but before she could heal it Harry waved her away with his usual bored expression somewhat ruined by the dark ring around his eye.

"Leave it be, I didn't get it from the Troll and earned it anyway. I'll let it heal normally."

Looking a little confused the Transfiguration Professor turned her attention to the twins, before frowning slightly and rubbing her head tiredly.

"Do I even want to know why you two are here?"

In response both red heads grinned, before as one pointing at Poe. Said Raven simply puffed up slightly as all eyes turned to her, and Harry couldn't help but think that there was smugness in her eyes.

Though that might have also been because of the bond they shared…he really needed to stop putting off researching about that. He just didn't seem to have the time between catching up his practical skills to his theoretical, building up his Occlumency Shields and trying to train his body to become an Animagus.

Shaking his head at his familiar, Harry used the wall to help himself get back up on shaky legs. He really needed to get out and exercise more, it had tired him out far too much running for his life from the Troll.

By the time he was standing Dumbledore was making his way over to them after checking on the Troll himself, the twins standing with him and grabbing an arm each to help hold him up. Maybe he would ask Fred and George to teach him some of those acrobatic moves they had used while fighting, it seemed interesting and useful.

"I think we need to have a few words in my office, all of you."

His eyes moved over the three of him, before to Harry's surprise also scanning over Neville and Hermione.

XXX

It wasn't until three hours later, after each of them had been forced to recount what had happened from their own points of view several times, that the group was allowed to leave the Headmasters office. Harry had been surprised at one point when Hermione attempted to take the blame and lied about going after the Troll herself, but Harry had put a stop to that with a light glare at the girl and a few short words.

He didn't need someone else taking the blame for his actions, especially when her reasoning made no sense at all. Who would believe a first year teacher's pet would go looking for a Troll after the students had been ordered back to their dorms anyway?

To say Fred and George were not happy to hear that there younger brother had been the reason she was crying in a bathroom was and understatement, and Harry had a feeling they would be having a few words with him sooner rather than later.

They had been ordered to return to their rooms and had been given passes for being out of bed after hours by Dumbledore, but they were only good to get them back to their dorms.

Harry stayed near the back of the group as they walked the corridors, his sharp eyes moving from one to the other. Poe was perched on his shoulder, rubbing her head against the side of his every few seconds as if making sure he was still there.

He still wasn't sure what to think about them.

Were they his…friends?

He'd never had friends before, at least not for long periods of time. When he was younger he had made a few friends, but then he was moved ahead and lost touch with them. After that he was always around older kids or adults, most of who hated his guts for being smarter than them. There was also the fact he was an arsehole, but Harry was sure it was mostly because he was smarter.

The fact was he really didn't know how to connect to people around his own age, or any other anymore. His only real source of human contact with people outside of an academic situation was the Dursley's, and obviously they were not the best people to emulate. There had been a few teachers that had taken a little more time to get to know him, but he could never call them friends or even close really.

How was he supposed to know any of theses things?

Maybe he should just ask Fred and George the next time they came to see him, at this point they were two people on a _very_ short list of people he trusted. Which was odd because he also knew for a fact that if they could get away with it, they would probably prank his hair pink and skin green the second his dropped his guard around them.

Neville had shown a backbone he hadn't expected from the boy based on their interactions up until this point, going so far as to actually knock some sense into him. If nothing else Harry found himself having a little respect for the usually meek kid, and that punch had really hurt. He had a mean right hook that Harry would have to watch out for in the future.

He still wasn't sure what to think of Hermione though. She had tried to take the blame after all, even if it was unnecessary. When he first met her she had been a pain in the arse and smug as hell, but had also adapted to not being the smartest person in the room when he was around pretty well. He would still need to be careful around her though, she reminded him of someone from his passed and he had no desire for it to be repeated.

…wait a moment, was he actually thinking about still interacting with them in the future after he moved ahead?

XXX

The next morning at breakfast Harry was once again treated to the stares of almost everyone in the Great Hall, word of what had happened that night seeming to have travelled fast. Personally Harry blamed the paintings, he had a feeling that they were all gossips.

Like always he was dressed in plain Muggle clothes with his red hat and Poe perched on his shoulder, but today he also had a black umbrella in his hand as it was raining outside.

He sent a nodded to the twins as he passed, and even one to Neville and Hermione respectively across the room. They all returned the gesture, and he didn't miss the slight widening of the two redheads eyes and they started to grin and quickly conjured their own umbrellas under the table so no one noticed.

He quickly sat at his table and placed the umbrella within easy reach, his food appearing on the plat by the time he turned to it. Without even thinking Harry grabbed a piece of bacon and gave it to Poe, before starting to eat himself.

For the next ten minutes everything was quite, people slowly stopped staring at him and returned to their attention to their own food and the sound of normal conversation filled the Hall. Then the mail arrived, and chaos broke out.

Interesting bit of information, there was a ward placed on the Great Hall in the last hundred years. Because it wasn't part of the original Hogwarts Design it was easy to find, and while not easy to take down it was only basic and wasn't _too_ hard to remove. The ward was simple put in place to prevent any of the owls brining mail from having…accidents, while flying into the Great Hall.

So if someone was to say, go to the owlery and give the Hogwarts owls some treats with a diuretic then take down said ward…

The moment it would be considered an acceptable reaction time Harry unfolded his umbrella just as the wave of white bird shit descended, screams filling the Great Hall shortly followed by the sound of several people vomiting. He did end up with a little white spot on his free shoulder, but it was fine.

The Twins were right, that had been…interesting.

XXX

 **And there you have Harry's first prank!**

 **Hope you all like the chapter, I know some people will have mixed feeling about Hermione still being involved but I actually think they could still be friends in this fic. Also as you will probably have started to notice Harry is easily side tracked at times, the fact he has still not looked into what having a Familiar might mean being just one example.**

 **And as we all know, Hermione is never one to let something go. She will be a good helper to him for things like that as she likes researching things. Harry is more into simple keeping himself busy one way or another, so she will be able to help keep him on track when necessary.**

 **Neville will be that little voice in the back of his head telling him right from wrong, his own little Jiminy Cricket because let face it he will need on with how he is.**

 **The Twins are…well they are the twins. Enough said.**

 **:)**


	7. AN DON'T KILL ME!

**This fic is being rewritten. the first chapter is already up, see my profile for '** Bored Genius 2 **'**


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